Horizontal Relationships

by John Moore, MA, LCMHC

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. Luke 10.27

In today’s culture of “I, Me, Mine” it is important to remember Jesus’ words regarding the less fortunate. We often remember the first part of Luke 10.27 and somehow forget about the second part.  Based on this verse, our horizontal [justice] relationship with our fellow man is just as important as out vertical [righteous] relationship with God.   

The Bible is full of instruction in regards of caring and giving to the less fortunate.  Loving your neighbor is about more than simply loving or caring for your fellow man.  To actively love someone is to serve their needs.  Deuteronomy 15.11 states, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” 

Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it [see Matt. 5.17-20]. Therefore, the command given in Deuteronomy stands today.  God’s instruction to his people [Israel] to care for the poor in their community is as important now as it was 5,000 years ago. This command is the nuts and bolts of Wild Hope. Our mission statement is based on Psalm 82.3-4; “Do justice to the…needy”.  The needy, poor, widow, orphan, less fortunate, immigrant, those not like you, those who look different than you, those who speak differently than you do…all of these persons are human beings and your neighbor.  

If you are fortunate enough to be able to eat three meals a day, you are doing much better than the majority of the world’s population.  If you are fortunate enough to have a home with a roof, running water and a refrigerator stocked with food options, you are doing much better than the majority of the world’s population.  The poorest Americans are significantly better off than others in the world. 

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12.48

Having a generous heart has so much effect on our mental and emotional health.   The more frequently you give, the easier it becomes.  Christians are commanded to serve, we are commanded to give, we are commanded to love others…our neighbors.  We are commanded to nurture our horizontal relationships as well as our vertical relationship because we possess something that others are willing to risk their lives for and it’s not the American Dream; We have the undeserved grace and blessing of God, and we are commanded to use our resources to help others.  What can you do with your time, money, energy to support your neighbor?

This week I encourage you to pray for God to present opportunities for serving others in your life and experience the joy of giving!