Reflection:  Loving others seems like a perfectly reasonable ask when the other is “one of us”. This was the context when God gave the instruction, through Moses, to the people of Israel in the Old Testament.

But Jesus’ interpretation of this ancient Law doesn’t allow us to confine the love of neighbour to our own people. Rather, through the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37, which we will explore in more detail next week), we are taught to expand our definition of neighbour to include everyone – even our enemies.

The implications of this are profound.

As followers of Christ, we are called to look beyond our family, friends, and members of our local church. We are empowered to go beyond the four walls of our buildings and into the wider community. We are invited to develop a vision for how, as people of faith, we can be part of not only transforming individual lives but also our cities, our nation, and the world.

Prayer:  God, your vision for this world is so much greater than ours. You don’t draw lines of distinction and division in the way we so often do. Please help us to receive this wider vision and engage with others who may not be our people. Remind us that we are all your people. Amen.