Today in my mailbox I found a postcard-sized folder addressed to "Our Neighbor," with a return address in San Antonio, TX. It's a mass marketing piece from JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, which used to be Chase Bank, and before that Chase Manhattan Bank. I can walk to the nearest Chase branch in about 20 minutes, but does that really make it my neighbor?
The young woman who lived upstairs from me and offered me a ride to the station one morning when I was waiting for the shuttle to the airport, she was my neighbor.
The young couple I helped to shovel out their cars in our parking lot after one of our winter storms, they are my neighbors.
The member of my EfM group who drove me home several times when my car didn't work, and who I now take back and forth to class because her family is down one car, she is my neighbor.
The homeless woman I used to pass in Grand Central Terminal in the City for a number of years and wanted a hug and some conversation more than money and prayers, she was my neighbor.
But the branch of a large, multi-national, financial corporation?
But wanting to justify himself, [the lawyer] asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’ Luke 10:29-37 NRSVJesus is talking about people. People are our neighbors. JP Morgan Chase Bank NA may be in my neighborHOOD, but it is not my neighbor. Some of my neighbors probably work at the branches closest to where I live, but the bank is not my neighbor.
I receive many mass marketing pieces and advertisements in the mail that are addressed to "Our Neighbor," but for some reason, today I found myself incensed by JP Morgan Chase NA's presumption that it is my neighbor.
I'm a person, not a mailing address.
That's why I switched to Dunkin' Donuts around the corner from Starbucks to which I had to drive, for my "open table" time - neighbors. Of course since I drink tea and not coffee, Dunkin' can't be trusted on that matter - I drink a small green tea and have the real tea when i get home - and I miss the baristas, who knew my name and always had my grande skim black tea latte ready for me. But at Dunkin' I'm in the neighborhood and the folks are just hangin' out, so we exchange greetings across the room.
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