We have been living in the house we are in for 8 months. We are in a "gated" community. Now don't let that fool you, it's not like a gated community in the states. It simply has a concrete walls surrounding the perimeter and 24-7 security guards on duty. And though there is a wall surrounding the perimeter, some parts of the wall have bars and razor wire to prevent people from climbing in, and some parts do not. Why? This is Costa Rica, how am I supposed to understand why? That's just how it is.
Well, the wall behind our house is a part of that wall that does not have the deterring bars and razor wires. I really haven't been that concerned about it as there is a church directly behind our house. I have always figured there would be no problems.
I flew back to Costa Rica on Wednesday Sept. 7th. I got up at 4am, Costa Rica time. When I got home I said hello to everyone. Went to the feeding center and then went home. I decided I was tired and that I was going to lay down.
While I was laying there, not asleep, I heard a noise. Now there is always noise around here, but this noise was different. I thought it was my dog at first. As I listened more, I heard the sound of Velcro being pulled apart.
Now, my wife and girls attract mosquitoes like crazy. So I put up some screens on some of our windows and attached them with Velcro so we could open and close the windows and let the breeze in. So, the Velcro I heard was in baby Ava's bedroom. Not thinking, I jumped up (knowing at this point that someone was attempting to break into our house), ran into her room, pulled the curtain back, and caused one Tico robber to have to change clothes. I yelled at the guy in my native tongue (why?) and he ran off and jumped the wall. His eyes were as big as golf balls.
So I went out there to see where he went, and to my surprise, when I looked over the back wall for the first time ever, I saw 2 tin houses. These types of dwellings are the type that we rebuild all the time. They are usually occupied by very poor families. There was a make-shift ladder leaning against the wall which allowed them to get on the roof of the house, and then climb over the wall. The wall is probably 15' high.
Looking over the edge of the wall directly behind my house.
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| The dog defending his territory. |
I called security and told them I had a problem and they needed to come to my house right now. They told me "mas tarde" which means "we''ll have to come a little later." When I finally got them to come I showed him what happened. He started throwing rocks on the house behind ours. Immediately a dog ran out and started barking. Now when the guy jumped over the wall, it was quiet. No dog was barking. This dog knows this guy. This guy must live in this house behind me. So now I have a constant problem.
Now, all this time Heather and the girls were in Florida.I was here by myself, and I knew that my bride would not sleep in this house at all until it was secure. My goal was to get it done before they returned. They return a week from today, so everything worked out.
Now I've discussed this with multiple people and our first reaction is always to want to teach this guy a lesson. However, I don't think this is the Christ-like thing to do. I'm praying about how we can attempt to change this guys outlook on life so he doesn't feel the need to rob others to get what he wants in life. That's why we are here, to combat poverty. Poverty has an ugly, ugly face. Crime is always in the midst of poverty. If the guy had came and knocked on my door and asked me for help, I would certainly have done what I could to help him. But because of pride, many of the poor would rather rob someone else than to ask for help. Should I be unforgiving of a man because he tried to rob me, when most of the people we serve around here are probably stealing from other people to get by. It's so ingrained in the heart of this community that this is the only way to ever get what you need and want. My pride says, "who does he think he is trying to rob my family" so I'm no better than he is. Our pride causes us to react in different ways, but it is still ugly pride.
Now Christ said that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. I could try to argue with him like the others did:
- So, Jesus, who is my neighbor? Is it the guy on the left and right of me that live in the "secured" community? Surely it's not the guy that lives behind me that tried to rob my family is it?
What is Christ going to say to me?
Well, let's just let His Word speak:
Matt. 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Luke 10:26-29; 36-37
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
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.’
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”....
( insert Good Samaritan story here. Mental note: there is no reference as to what type of character the victim in the story possessed. He himself could have been a terrible person for all we know.)
...“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Romans 13:9-10
The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 15:2
Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.
Galatians 5:14
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Ephesians 4:25-28
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
James 2:8
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
That last one is powerful!!!
To sum it all up:
There are no excuses for who we call our neighbor and that's not even the point that Jesus made. The expert in the law asked him "who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered him with a question that caused the man to focus on the type of neighbor he himself was instead of worrying about who was in fact a neighbor to him. We are to worry about who's neighbor we are being, not who is our neighbor, or as is most often the case, who is being a neighbor to us. Favoritism is underrated, yet we all do it, while unconditional love is more powerful than we could ever dream, and we at times, choose to not exercise it.
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| A view of potential. Potential love. Potential change. Potential for the glory of God. If I will handle things His way. If I will step up and be the neighbbor. |
Be a neighbor!
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