by Hannah Teague, Frontier Fellowship Creative Director
Micah 4:1–5 paints the picture of a flourishing world, free from war, want or fear. Weapons are transformed to dig up neglected soil and cultivate life. People once devoted to military strategy rest in the shade of their fruit trees. They break down defenses and enjoy the beauty of a renewed land, healed from the ravages of conflict.
While this ultimate restoration still lies ahead, God calls us to active participation in the peace and prosperity of our neighborhoods, communities, cities and nations now (Jeremiah 29:7). Yet the question posed to Jesus in Luke 10:29 persists: “Who is my neighbor?” To whom do we owe our advocacy and compassion? Faced with the world’s pervasive brokenness, are we justified in our concern for priorities that primarily impact ourselves?
Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–37) illustrates that our responsibility isn’t determined by proximity, country of origin, ethnicity or faith. We’re called to see everyone we encounter as neighbors, convinced of their innate worth and our intimate connection as God’s image bearers and co-stewards of creation.
Seeing the world as our neighbor changes everything. It compels us to cross streets and ideological divides, tend old wounds, listen and speak up. We stand beside people facing injustice, amplify unheard voices, sacrifice our privilege and find common ground. We care for the earth and honor those with whom we share it. We open our doors to sojourners longing for home.
By learning to see our neighbors, we become people who reshape weapons of war into tools for planting and building. We disarm to welcome the realities of God’s Kingdom. We give ourselves to the wholeness and flourishing of our communities and celebrate new life.
Ask God to help you dream of a world marked by farming and feasting. Can you allow Him to stretch the boundaries of your imagination and envision a future in which your neighbors find rest from violence and exploitation? What can you lay aside or take up to help them thrive?
Read more from our Advent devotional series.
Comments are closed.