GOOD NEIGHBORING (Part 2)
Good Neighboring seems like it should come fairly natural to us. And yet, what we have found tells us people struggle with what it takes to be a good neighbor.
Ultimately, the problem comes down to cultural shifts in our society which have caused us to lose sight of what good neighboring looks like in real time. We don’t know how to be a good neighbor simply because we have focused our life around concepts that steal us away from the very relationships we are attempting to forge.
The more we give ourselves to the pervasive idea of extreme individualism the more we forget what it means to be a good neighbor. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to be a good neighbor and live under the precepts of individualism. Good Neighboring requires us to focus on others rather than ourselves, and that reality gets in the way.
The years of isolating from one another into our own personal utopian world ( a place where we only have to be concerned with ourselves) has left us alone and unable to find our way back to what healthy community looks like. For something so simple we have lost touch of what a good neighbor looks like in real life.
Here is a snapshot of what we mean: the years of …
driving in and out of garages without having to ever go outside to interact with others
keeping our doors and windows shut all the time, letting our HVAC systems work so we don’t have to hear or see those near us
headphones which isolate us from sharing whatever it is we are listening to with other people
smart phones, gaming systems, computers, and the like have left us to entertain ourselves without ever having to consider what someone else may want or need
movement from a front porch to a back deck has taken us away from an opportunity to know the people around us
All of these and more keep us from many of the normal interactions that can take place in a day. The more we isolate and live to ourselves the less we know about the people around us, and that is where the problems begin with the art of being a good neighbor.
There are several steps we need to take to become a good neighbor, the type of neighbor that other people want to be around. Let’s take a quick look at the first of our steps in Good Neighboring.
We need to OBSERVE before we attempt any of the other steps it takes. It is fairly simple and doesn’t demand too much from us. All we need to do is take our nose out of whatever we have it buried in and look around us. We actually take in what goes on around us rather than isolating our view to a tiny screen in front of our face.
Notice.
Pay attention.
Ask yourself questions about what you see.
To observe is to conform our action or practice as we comply with someone or something. It is to inspect or take note of what has, or is taking place, as we watch carefully before coming to a judgement or realization drawn from the scientific information and noted fact concerning it.
Here is how Websters Dictionary describes what it means to observe; there are so many things to take into consideration. To observe is to:
conform our action or practice to comply with something (such as a law, rite, or condition): ie - they failed to observe the law and as a consequence had to pay a fine
inspect or take note of something that has or is taking place: ie - we observed the children interacting on the playground
celebrate or solemnize in a customary or accepted way, (something, such as a ceremony or festival): ie - we observed the holiday by gathering together
watch carefully for the purpose of arriving at a judgment (especially paying attention to details and/or behavior): ie - we observed the way the man moved about us
make a scientific observation: ie - we observed wolves interacting in their natural environment
come to a realization (to know through the consideration of noted facts): ie - we observed the people on this street keep their lawns very well manicured
utter as a remark: ie - she observed the house needs to be cleaned
Observing means we pay attention, take notice, and respond to others. It is more than a casual glance. We study people and learn from what we have observed. We take time to consider what we noticed before we address it or try to do something about it.
Before we can do anything of substance we need to pay attention to our neighbors. Go for walks and notice things about the people around you. Concentrate on them and, in time, the Holy Spirit will teach you the best path to Good Neighboring.