If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.  For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

James 2:8-10, ESV

I wrote it out, in my own hand, just this morning.
Who am I loving well?
I knew the answer right away.
Who am I not loving well?
And that’s where it started to get real.

This COVID-19 reality has made it SO EASY to not love.
You see, it’s not safe.
It’s not in my best interest.
I don’t really feel comfortable with that right now.

It’s hard to love your neighbor when you’re barricaded inside your house.
It’s hard to love your neighbor when you’ve circled the wagons around your people and all outsiders are potential threats.

I think of Jesus and the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) and things get really uncomfortable. You see, a priest and a Levite walked by a dying man and
it wasn’t safe,
it wasn’t in their best interest to get involved,
they just didn’t feel comfortable with it.

AND THEY WERE WRONG.

In the interest of safety and comfort and the tiniest figment of control, I have sacrificed obedience to the call fo Christ. I’m not saying “loving your neighbor” will look the same as it did pre-COVID, but there will be loving your neighbor. And who is your neighbor? It’s anyone within the scope of your existence who has a need that you can meet. Sound incredible? Insane? Talk to Jesus about it.