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Greetings:

“Love Your Neighbour as Yourself”

When did I (we) last place ourselves under the lens of a microscope? I fully realize it would be difficult to put myself on a slide for a microscope. At the same time, I am always curious about just what the technician sees when we are put through a scan of our body with an MRI?  

Then, I am reminded of Proverbs 15.3: “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good;” and then, from the Summary of the Law: “Love Your Neighbour as Yourself.”  

We have just celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada. This is a day to set aside all thoughts other than those of thankfulness—families, communities, organizations—to take time to say thanks. It's interesting to note:  some large corporations take the day, or a part of the day, to give their employees an opportunity to express the gifts of thanksgiving.

Is one day enough?  

We are reminded in the Day-By-Day today, “Whoever welcomes you, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me.” (Mt 10.40)  

Additional verses from this small section of Matthew’s Gospel give us the example of a small glass of water being offered to child, and how this is a living example of “loving your neighbour as yourself”.  

There is a line from a contemporary hymn, “I am the Light of The World”, identifying “the Work of Christmas is Just Begun.”  

This week we could just be singing these alternative words:  

When the song of the angel is stilled     

"When the song of the thanksgiving angel is stilled"

When the star in the sky is gone                     

"When the pumpkin pie is gone" 

When the kings and princes are home           

"When the children and grands are all home"

When the shepherds are back with their flocks   

"When the workers are back at their desks"

The work of Christmas begins:                                   

"The work of Thanksgiving begins:"

To find the lost                                                            "To find the lost"

To heal the broken                                                       "To heal the broken"

To feed the hungry                                                       "To feed the hungry"

To release the prisoner                                                 "To walk with the prisoner"

To rebuild the nations                                                   "To heal the nations"

To bring peace among the people                                "To bring peace to the nations"

To make music in the heart.                                   "To make music the song of our hearts"  

I believe that part of the work of the Major Feast days of the Christian Church, is to provide an opportunity to review the meaning of our faith, and what our response to the Lord’s work in our lives should be.

Personally, with each celebration, I find myself encouraged to make a closer connection with my neighbour, in the whole sense of just how inclusive the word "neighbour" is--or should be-- in our lives.  

I invite you to join with me this week in asking the question, “Who is my neighbour?”  

May the MRI of our Lord see, clearly, just who our neighbour(s) is.

Blessings in Christ,

Brian+