Everyone belongs here at NeighborLink. Before I started working as an intern this summer, I didn’t know if that was true. I was hesitant in some ways. Would we avoid certain neighborhoods based on appearance? Would we disqualify certain volunteers based on what church they were a part of? I soon realized just how inclusive and special of an organization NeighborLink truly is. No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, there’s a place for you here. To serve and be served.
No matter what you look like, what you believe, how you live, or what abilities you have, there’s a place here at NeighborLink for you to experience the joy and purpose of loving your neighbor in a practical way. I’m so thankful to be an intern with a group of people who really want everyone in our community to participate and experience the love of God.
A couple weeks ago, the NeighborLink staff went on a retreat to unite as a team and fix our eyes on Jesus. A couple verses that we focused a lot on were John 13:34-35. Here Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Our biggest, most profound, and compelling proof of our love for Jesus is our love for one another. In fact, later in the Bible it says that if we say we love God but hate our brothers and sisters, we’re liars, and the love of God is not in us.
Being a part of this organization means we not only love in word, by praying together, and encouraging neighbors - we love by our actions. We practice what we preach. We build ramps, we paint garages, we mow lawns. One of my favorite projects I’ve been able to work with so far is helping put a new roof on a house. These neighbors we helped were in a lot of need. The couple was older and the wife had recently been hospitalized and couldn’t walk. And I had the opportunity to be a small part in making their lives better. Not as their hero but as their friend.
And that’s what NeighborLink is all about, showing us because of Jesus, we all belong to each other. We’re all brothers and sisters. There are no enemies, only neighbors. Only friends.
Grace and peace,
Jesse