moving in next door

who lives in your neighborhood? who lives next door? now, i am not talking about "do you know the people next door" thing, because to be honest that is getting rather thin - what i am talking about is knowing your community, and knowing who lives in your community. do you know the baker, and do they call you by your first name? do you know the gas station person, and do they call you by your first name? this week, when the trash people come by and pick up your garbage do you know them, and do they know you? will you offer them something to drink?

i love the way the messahe puts the words of john when it says:

"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.[john 1:14 - the message]

it may sound silly, but we need to treat those who live in community with us as if they were "the word" - living among us. we need to treat people as if they are close personal friends, because we need to make people just that - close, personal friends.