May I Be Your Neighbor

While watching a film based on the life if the late Fred Rogers, yes “the” Mr. Rogers, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Sermon on the Mount. From what we know of films and biography, few modern Americans lived a life more in harmony with those words attributed to the Galilean some 2,000 years ago than that simple television star of modern times.

As for us mere mortals, living these demanding scriptures is difficult in the Facebook age. Just look at the first examples following the glorious Beatitudes.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (5:13 NIV)

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (5:14-16 NIV)

These constitute the famous “salt and light” sections of the Sermon. They fall directly upon the listeners and reflect precisely what the Galilean expects of his followers. They have garnered much attention and analysis over the years, including opinions regarding just how much light a household lamp of the era produced. We shan’t go into such detail here. Suffice it to say that he expected much from us.

Salt is a strange analogy, carrying a dual function in our physical world. It forms both a necessity of life and flavor to what may be a bland or troublesome existence. What if we viewed ourselves in this manner? How would we act if we truly felt that every moment of our waking life might bring continued hope and a blessing of seasoning to a troubled soul? Do our posts on social media, for example, reflect such a sublime responsibility?

Similarly, do we post items in order that our light may “shine before others,” and reflect our good deeds? The same source quoted in the Sermon also cautions us about judging others, so we had best limit our analysis conclusions to our own actions and leave others to their own thoughts.

Let us just conclude that these are troubled times and the strictures of the Sermon pose huge challenges in compliance. One man made the effort, though, and there are countless others we could name who have risen to the challenge. In selecting names, we would surely fail in the test of inclusion, so let us rest content with the one life mentioned at the beginning.

The Galilean gave his followers a “rough row to hoe,” as they say in my part of the country. They don’t pose the easiest path to follow. Maybe as a beginning effort, we can stop short of saying, “What would he do?” As a more achievable effort, we might just say, “What would Mr. Rogers do?” He sure made it look easy.