One of last year’s best movies was “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” in which Tom Hanks starred as Fred Rogers of the children’s TV show “Mister Rogers Neighborhood.” I think Rogers was an amazing man. He was a Presbyterian minister commissioned to work in media. It’s good to remember that not all ministry is done in a church. In fact, the best ministry is often done outside the confines of a church building.

Rogers didn’t talk about God on his program, but rather tried to help children develop a character that certainly was in harmony with his Christian faith. He once said, “I believe appreciation is a holy thing–that when we look for what’s best in a person we happen to be with at the moment, we’re doing what God does all the time.” Rogers reminds me of Luther explaining in the Small Catechism how we should treat our neighbors. “We should defend them, speak well of them, and explain everything in the kindest way.”  How much better our world would be if everyone did just that.

In this time of COVID-19 it’s tempting to ignore our neighbors who might be a source of contagion. Maybe we need to turn that around and ask how we might still care for our neighbor in these difficult days. I know one thing I do is wear a face mask to lessen the chance that I might unknowingly pass on this disease.

Keep your neighbors and your neighborhood in mind. They are the local expression of God’s Kingdom.

Read Luke 10:30-37 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne