From the President: Loving Your Neighbor Today (and Tomorrow!)

Jackie and I stood outside our neighbors’ doorway getting ready to welcome the family that had just moved into the house next to our home in New Lenox, Illinois. We rang the doorbell. The new family opened the door and welcomed us.
We shared some of our story and our name. They shared some of their
story (moved from New Jersey) and their name – Pagan.

A new church pastor and his family had next door neighbors who had the last name – Pagan. God does have a sense of humor. (Actually, our new neighbors were Catholic in background.)

is vignette does illustrate that you never know all there is to know about your neighbors until you get to know them. What will help frame our interaction and our showing the love of God to them?

Jesus tells us, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But what does that mean for us today? Does loving our non-Christian neighbors mean evangelizing them or engaging them in dialogue? How do we love those who are hard to love because they suffer from dementia or trauma?

Calvin Seminary was able to host a significant conference this past summer that sought to provide a variety of perspectives on the question, “What Does ‘Love Your Neighbor’ Mean Today?” The conference featured Dr. Richard Mouw, Professor of Faith and Public Life and President emeritus at Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as many of the newer faculty members at Calvin Seminary. Free recordings of these sessions are now available by going to calvinseminary.edu/neighbor-videos

We hope that the articles presented and video links provided will be helpful for your own discernment and journey as disciples who love God and love your neighbors.

Editorial Note and Invitation:

Thank you for the many expressions of appreciation that we receive for “e Forum.” We look forward to continuing our service to the Church even as we move to a twice a year format with more articles in each issue.

In 2017, we will dedicate both issues to focusing on the 500th Commemoration of the Reformation. As we prepare for these issues, do you have suggestions and comments that we can incorporate? Please write us at sempres@ calvinseminary.edu with your input! Thank you!