Vote to Love Your Neighbor

My name is Dorothy Shank and I’m a member of Ridgeway Mennonite church. I want to share with you the inspiration that comes with the sign that we have Vote to Love Your Neighbor,  but first I want to tell you a story.  A young lawyer came to Jesus and said “what must I do to have eternal life” and Jesus said “well what does your law say” and the young lawyer said “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart heart with all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength and your neighbor as yourself.” And Jesus said, “that’s right You’ got it now you can just go and do it likewise.” And then the lawyer thought well he I really answered that question well, but he would ask an additional question and that question was “and who is my neighbor.” Jesus said “I’ll tell you a story. “There was a man who was on a journey down to Jericho. And on the way robbers found him and took everything he had and left him along the road for dead.  A little later a religious man came by and saw him there and walked to the other side of the road and kept on going. A second religious leader came along and saw him, but he walked across the road and kept on going as well. And then there was a religious man who was of a different sect came along and saw this man and he took a second look and he had pity on him because he had been beaten so badly. And so he wrapped his wounds with bandages put him on his donkey and took him to the Inn. At the Inn, he found a room and he stayed with a man all night. The next morning he saw the innkeeper. And he said ‘I want I would like you to take care of this man and I’m going to come back and I’m going to pay you then for whatever else that he needs.’ And then he gave him two daaras which is equal to two days wages.” Jesus said then to the lawyer “now which of these three do you think was the good neighbor?” And the lawyer said “the one who had mercy.” And Jesus said, “yes you go and do likewise.”

We’re glad that you have an interest in this sign. As well I’m sure that you have heard along with me and wondered about how it is that people can speak so disrespectfully and so ugly about other people. I have heard that and I’m distressed by that. And I thought what can I do? I’m only one. But I am one, I will try. And from the inspiration of this story of Jesus and the lawyer, I came to this to the decision that Vote to Love your Neighbor is the best way that perhaps I can do this now. My church family has joined with me so now it is not just ‘I’. It is ‘we’. We are many now and we’re thankful and glad that you came to join us and that you want to participate in this as well and we welcome you. Loving our neighbors always means that we take a risk because it love. The love might not be returned, but that’s all right because doing and following the Jesus way always includes risks. And so we invite you and say ‘Are you ready to do to vote to love your neighbor?’ We welcome you.