State Farm has coined the phrase in their commercials: “Like a Good Neighbor State Farm Is There.” That’s a great philosophy to have, but it didn’t originate with them. The idea or concept of being a good neighbor comes from God and the Bible. When Jesus was asked to sum up everything into one command, He said to love God with everything we have and to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40) The genius of the Great Commandment is that it’s so simple yet so powerful. However, most of us have turned Jesus’ command to love our neighbors into an abstract idea. We’ve generalized “our neighbor” and don’t do anything to specifically love our neighbors. We’ve turned Jesus’ words into a nice saying, but then we go on with our lives and don’t put it into practice. But, what would happen if we took the Great Commandment literally? And what if we started with loving our neighbors in our very own neighborhood and where we live? When we build relationships in our neighborhoods and communities in which we live, not only are the lives and the families around us impacted, but those relationships can begin to connect to God’s story of salvation. All this summer at Crosstown, we’re going to be looking at how to be “Like a Good Neighbor.” Our goal is simple: learn how to build genuine relationships with those right outside your front door.