Many of us are aware that this is a complicated moment in our shared life. People hold different views about current events and public policy, and faithful people of good conscience don’t always agree on how best to respond. At the same time, it’s also true that some of our neighbors are carrying fear and uncertainty right now, especially within immigrant communities, and that reality deserves our care and attention.
Scripture gives us a steady place to stand in moments like this. Again and again, God reminds the people not to forget those who live among them with fewer protections. “You shall love the stranger as yourself,” Leviticus says, “for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” The call isn’t rooted in politics, but in memory, compassion, and faithfulness.
Jesus lives this teaching not through arguments, but through presence. He stays close to people who are anxious, overlooked, or unsure of what tomorrow might bring. He reminds us that love of neighbor begins not with agreement, but with attention, with showing up in ways that say, you matter here.
This month, for Second Sunday, as a simple expression of that care, we’re reaching out to our neighbors in the nearby mobile home communities with small gift bags on Super Bowl Sunday. There’s no message attached and no expectation in return. It’s simply a way of saying: we’re glad to share this neighborhood with you.
In times that feel uncertain or divided, these small acts help keep our communities human and connected. They don’t resolve every difference, but they do help us practice the kind of care Scripture asks of us: steady, local, and rooted in love.
May we continue to be people who notice one another, who make room, and who choose compassion even when the path forward isn’t simple.