Old School

I just moved to a new neighborhood, and in my quest to seek community and love others, I thought I should introduce myself to my neighbors (and bring them cookies, of course). My own cynicism almost stopped me (so, you'll meet them once, and not see them again until you moved out...what do you hope to accomplish?...will people be creeped out?...what will happend when you knock on the door?...), but I focused on the fact that God will do what He will do through me, but He can't do much if I don't move!

So, cookies in hand, heart slightly pounding, I knocked on the door of my neighbor. And, two minutes later, I'm standing on the porch, chatting with a lovely woman who has lived on the block for over forty years. She told me all about the neighborhood, and how is has changed throughout the years. She took two cookies (and then decided she could manage three :)!), and we chatted for about 15 minutes. As I left, she said to make sure I came back again. Happiness.

A few hours later I went to my neighbors across the street. After knocking a few times, I started heading back home when a woman opened the door. It was a bit chaotic, with kids running around and friends visiting, but she was very excited that I came over. "How old school!" she said. She invited me in and told me it was her birthday. Perfect. You can't have too many cookies on your birthday. She got my number as a potential babysitter, and told me about a dessert restaurant a few blocks away. I said happy birthday and left.

Small gestures of community are sometimes difficult, but often worth the challenge. We weren't created to leave our house, get in the car, drive away, come back, get out of the car, go into the house, and lock it. Rather, we were called to share meals "with glad and sincere hearts" (Acts 2:26) and have relationships with our neighbors.

I'm not sure what will come from my gestures today, but that's not important. What's important is to reach out to others. To not only share physical space, but to connect with neighbors through conversation and shared experiences. This is a small expression of community.