“Won’t you be my neighbor?” Most people will remember this line spoken by Mr. Rogers on his children’s television show. But my question is slightly different: “Won’t you be my gospel neighbor?”

I believe that the COVID-19 pandemic and the traumatic ongoing racial tensions have brought the Christian community to the realization that we need to reach out to our neighbors, whether they are physically close to us, within our community, country or the world. Things have changed, and it all started with us. Complaints have turned into concern for each other. Insignificant details don’t matter anymore as people’s livelihoods and lives were stripped away. Suddenly, we needed and cared about our neighbors.

As Christians and as Salvationists, we should be making a positive difference. Part of the Christian DNA should be to love others and point them to Jesus’ saving grace. Often, we don’t show love and mercy to those who are overlooked or marginalized. Scripture tells us to love our family, friends and neighbors, including those we think of as our enemies. If we are honest, we have often failed as the Church to obey this command from God. We struggle with our actions to those within the church, never mind to those in our community.

In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul tells the believers that he rejoices because of their unified love and prays that “… (their) love may abound more and more.” (Phil. 1:9). In Philippians 2:1, 2, he said, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like–minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

In Philippians 1:27, Paul urged the people to “… conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then … I will know that you stand firm in in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the family of the gospel.” He was addressing his concern over the tensions within the church at Philippi. If we are to fulfill God’s command to save souls, we need to be of one accord. We need to be united and driven by love, and to set our minds on the mission given to us by God. This doesn’t mean that we will all have the same ideas and goals, or that we have to agree with everything proposed. But rather, it means to agree on the important priorities and to have a unified purpose. Therefore, it is imperative to ask God for His directions before making any decisions. We are told to encourage each other and show genuine love to be effective in reaching others for the Lord.

Paul also admonished the Philippians to live a life of humble service. He recognized that the leaders of the church in Philippi had lost their focus. They had become ambitious to gain a name for themselves or to further their own careers.  Paul tells them, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others” (Phil. 2:3,4).  His message then and still today is incredibly counter–cultural. The world tells us that to be great we need power; we need status. Becoming a servant of others is the last thing upon society’s mind. But Paul echoed Jesus’ command that to be great we must become a servant.

Everything Paul shared with the Philippians is relevant today. Just because we call ourselves Christians does not mean that we are exempt from the temptation to criticize, to tear down, to complain and point out each other’s flaws. When we feel superior to others, we fail to remember that God loves everyone.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV)

God gave His son so that every person in the world who believes could have eternal life.

During the many crises our world faces today, is God calling us to be gospel neighbors?

If so, first we need to be sure that we are right with God. Then we must be willing to reach out in love to everyone, expecting no recognition in return. Being a gospel neighbor in every area of our life is a crucial component of being a true follower of God and a faithful evangelist. Your challenge today and every day is to be a gospel neighbor.