Love Your Neighbor
by Xan Proctor
"And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." –Matthew 22:39
Love your neighbor as yourself. Who is my neighbor? How do I love them? What if I don't like them? What if I don't know them?
A year and a half ago, I set out for a two-month mission trip to Finland and Estonia. I was in the middle of my Discipleship Training School in the north of Norway, and I would be traveling with a group of six total. We had our van ready to go with everything packed, and a lot of expectation of what God was going to do. Although I absolutely loved Finland and all of the ministry we did there, I would like to share a testimony from our time in Estonia.
I didn't really know what to expect going into Estonia, except that we would help lead a youth camp in a village in the south. Our main contact was telling us all about the country, specifically focusing on the rough living conditions of this village we were visiting; heavy alcohol and drug influence, abusive relationships within families, and deep separation. I could feel my heart start to break for this community, and I wondered what the rest of our time there would look like.
During the camp, we led games, guided worship through music, joined discussion times, and shared testimonies. I even got to share a sermon with the congregation. There were multiple times when some of the kids wouldn’t listen or were very loud and frustrating, and it was easy to get annoyed. But then you would hear about some of their lives from the local leaders; stories of abusive parents, fathers being arrested, and deep depression taking hold of their homes.
Hearing about these families shattered my heart. I felt a deep longing for these kids to be seen, to have stable families, and to know the love of Jesus Christ. That's where it started to click in my mind why we were actually there. We had a massive opportunity to be a blessing to them—to love them, care for them, and be a light in a very broken place. Just three days prior, we didn't even know who these kids were. Yet our past unfamiliarity wasn't, and should never be, a reason to withhold the love of Christ.
Five months ago, I had another experience of what it means to love my neighbor. Our team of five had just left Bulgaria and traveled to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago; a beautiful pilgrimage trail filled with rich culture, gorgeous landscapes, hospitable people, and lots of joy. Our main ministry was evangelism with fellow pilgrims on the trail.
Physically, we struggled the first couple of days. We also felt discouraged by the lack of people we were meeting; it almost felt like we weren't accomplishing what we were sent there to do. To make it even harder, one of our teammates had to return home for family reasons. Now down to four, we hiked over mountain ranges, through pastures, and along roads, feeling more tired with each passing day. And then came our hardest day.
We had to travel 25 km (15.5 miles) along the peak of a mountain range, then climb down steep paths; all in heavy rain, wind, snow, and hail. We walked in silence, trying to focus on not quitting and just taking one step at a time. But of course, God, staying true to His character, made a beautiful moment out of it.
While on top of the mountain, we ducked into a café to rest before continuing our trek. There were other pilgrims inside, some of whom we had seen along the trail. As we talked together as a team, the joy of the Lord became incredibly evident. It would have been so easy to be frustrated or annoyed with each other, but instead, we chose joy, laughter, and peace. Honestly, it wasn't even a difficult choice—it was simply the presence of the Holy Spirit in that very moment.
We didn't think much more about it until we finished our arduous day in a warm hostel. There, I ended up talking to one of the guys who had been in the café with us. He shared how he had watched our team laughing and filled with joy. Even though he knew we were struggling physically, he was amazed by the love we had for one another, and I thought this is how the Lord loves us during our hardest experiences. I was deeply encouraged by his words and even had the opportunity to share the gospel with him in that same conversation.
Two thousand years later, Jesus' second greatest commandment is still an incredibly radiant light. Isn't it beautiful that the things Jesus commands us to do are entirely based on love? It is certainly just as relevant today as when Jesus walked this earth. Let these words of Christ leave an imprint on your mind today. Let them shape how we live, how we interact with those around us, and how we bless those we don't yet know.
"Love your neighbor as yourself." –Jesus Christ
Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the commands You have given us: to love You with all that we are, and to love the people around us whom You have created. May we step into this calling with joy and expectation, watching how You change lives through the love we carry. Thank You that our cup overflows and pours out to everyone around us. Let us be examples and ambassadors of You, Lord. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen.