Won't you be my neighbor?

You probably recognize the title of this posting as a line sung by Fred Rodgers on his famous children's show. I must confess that the specific choice of a name for my blog was inspired, at least in small part, by Mister Roger's neighborhood. It was my desire to pick a name for my blog which was welcoming. In terms of a first impression I needed a name to convey a place of acceptance and an appreciation of the dignity of every person. That was important because the term Christendom, which is the subject of this blog, is frequently associated with ideas like authority, judgement, and even subservience. Ideas which are perceived as negative. In contrast, the idea of a neighborhood is universally accepted as something positive. So using that term conveys the neighborly approach I am taking in my blog about Christendom.

From a Biblical perspective, the name for this blog is even more appropriate since it is an essential duty of Christians to love their neighbors as they love themselves. This duty is first stated in Leviticus and is continually reaffirmed throughout the Bible. For example, Jesus tells us that this is the second great commandment after loving God and later in Romans 13 Paul makes it the foundation for all of our relationships. Everyone is our neighbor, those who have the power of life and death over us, those who are powerless, those who share our faith in Christ, and those who hate us because of Christ. Welcome to the neighborhood everyone.