MORNINGSIDE UNITED CHURCH
  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Link Newsletter
    • Gallery
    • Staff
    • Our Story
    • Why are we United?
    • Financial Reports
  • Contact Us
  • What´s On?
    • Calendar
    • Services >
      • Communion
      • Pray >
        • Why Pray?
        • Prayer for the Congregation
    • Eric Liddell Centre
    • Christian Aid: Holy Corner Booksale
    • Coffee morning
    • Youth Choir
    • Book Group
  • Event Venue
    • Hall Lettings
    • Weddings
    • Baptisms
    • Renewal of Vows
    • Funerals
  • DONATE

The Link

It's Really Simple... But Demanding

9/10/2021

0 Comments

 
A lawyer connected with the congregation shared this short piece from American writer and theologian Frederick Buechner on the theme of “Neighbour”: ​
Picture
When Jesus said to love your neighbor, a lawyer who was present asked him to clarify what he meant by neighbor. He wanted a legal definition he could refer to in case the question of loving one ever happened to come up. He presumably wanted something on the order of: "A neighbor (hereinafter referred to as the party of the first part) is to be construed as meaning a person of Jewish descent whose legal residence is within a radius of no more than three statute miles from one's own legal residence unless there is another person of Jewish descent (hereinafter to be referred to as the party of the second part) living closer to the party of the first part than one is oneself, in which case the party of the second part is to be construed as neighbor to the party of the first part and one is oneself relieved of all responsibility of any sort or kind whatsoever."
​

Instead, Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), the point of which seems to be that your neighbor is to be construed as meaning anybody who needs you. The lawyer's response is left unrecorded

~originally published in Wishful Thinking and later in Beyond Words

Article (https://www.frederickbuechner.com/quote-of-the-day/2016/5/21/neighbor)
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About

    The Link is a monthly publication by members and staff of Morningside United Church.

    Archives

    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021

    Categories

    All
    Books
    Christian Aid
    Community
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Events
    Food For Thought
    Holy Lives
    In Remembrance
    Interfaith
    Jan/Feb 2022
    Link: Apr 2022
    Link: April 2021
    Link: August 2021
    Link: Dec 2020
    Link: Dec 2021
    Link: Feb 2021
    Link: Mar 2022
    Link: May 2021
    Link: May 2022
    Link: Nov 2021
    Link: Oct 2021
    Link: Sept 2021
    Member Perspectives
    Ministry
    News
    Planning
    Poem
    Prayer
    Rev. Steven Manders
    Volunteer

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Croydon Clicker, shixart1985, Scouse Smurf, wuestenigel, wuestenigel
  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Link Newsletter
    • Gallery
    • Staff
    • Our Story
    • Why are we United?
    • Financial Reports
  • Contact Us
  • What´s On?
    • Calendar
    • Services >
      • Communion
      • Pray >
        • Why Pray?
        • Prayer for the Congregation
    • Eric Liddell Centre
    • Christian Aid: Holy Corner Booksale
    • Coffee morning
    • Youth Choir
    • Book Group
  • Event Venue
    • Hall Lettings
    • Weddings
    • Baptisms
    • Renewal of Vows
    • Funerals
  • DONATE