When I was a kid, and I first heard the call to “love thy neighbor,” I thought it meant loving only those living directly next to me.
“Pastor, what about the family that lives two houses down from me instead of next to me. Do I love them as well?” I likely asked as a young Christian. Growing in and with faith, I now realize this command from Christ is more expansive than my adolescent self thought. The “neighbors” in question are not just those who directly reside next to us, but our “neighbors” throughout our whole community.
Arguably, our “neighbors” span the entire world.
One piece of Scripture that invigorates my mind to this view is Acts 1:8 (NKJV), which declares, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
This is where I implore you to read the chronological order of places the Apostle Luke mentions in this verse. He begins with Jerusalem and goes all the way to the ends of the earth, to the nations and continents beyond. Neighborly action can extend to the ends of the earth, as everyone will be able to bear witness to Christ’s Love, Christ’s Mercy, and Christ’s Character.
Something novel I would like to add to our understanding of Christ’s command to “love our neighbor” is an informal cultural practice from my ancestral homeland of Indonesia, called gotong royong.
WHAT IS GOTONG ROYONG
Gotong royong can be translated and defined as “communal work,” “reciprocity,” or “collective action.” Its literal translation is “carry” (gotong) and “working together” (royong). The Indonesian scholar, Satjipto Rahardjo, translated gotong royong to mean “spirit of togetherness.” Additionally, scholarship, particularly by John R. Bowen, notes how the practice lays out an individual’s obligation to the community. As I have come to understand it, as a member of the Indonesian diaspora, the call is for every individual in the community to work together on burdensome tasks, especially if such projects are for the greater good of the public.
Although the term is often credited as Javanese, an ethnic group making up a plurality of Indonesia’s demographic population, in origin, gotong royong has been accepted as a core tenet of the Indonesian identity. Its importance goes beyond ethnic lines, as I have seen instances of gotong royong in my community as a member of the smaller Batak ethnic group. Additionally, it has popped up many times in my church community and in my journey as a Christian.
HOW THE CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATES IN GOTONG ROYONG
Christians will find themselves familiar with gotong royong’s call to work together against burdensome tasks. The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:2 (NKJV) likewise invokes, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The gotong royong calls for individual contribution, just as Christ calls for each one of us.
For context, Indonesia is a nation consisting only of islands. Precipitation and ocean patterns often become extreme, causing frequent flooding. Thus, projects like drainage and flood walls undertaken by villagers through gotong royong may be the difference between life and death for community members.
Yet, as a Christian, when it comes to loving our neighbor, there is something done that goes beyond gotong royong. Individuals undertake these projects for the sake of the community and immediate needs. Comparatively, when a Christian engages in love for their neighbor, they not only care for that person’s livelihood, but are also concerned for their neighbor’s spiritual needs as well.
Gotong royong commands that people assist their neighbors because they live in the community.
On the other hand, Christ’s command to love your neighbor is second in importance to loving God Himself. A novel piece of information Christians can take away in understanding gotong royong is the care for especially burdensome tasks in togetherness. When a Christian finds a person they can minister to and support, they can rely on other Christians to support this person in need.
Being able to love your neighbor is of similar importance to the Christian faith as gotong royong is to the Indonesian identity.
The early Christian theologian, Augustine of Hippo, argued that “loving your neighbor” has a deeper meaning for Christians. He states in On Christian Doctrine, “Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he might.” One cannot understand Scripture if one refuses to engage in love for one’s neighbor.
One can engage in the beneficial activity of gotong royong for their entire lives. Much good will undoubtedly come from this, but it cannot reach the spiritual needs and the depth of love for our neighbor. We are all neighbors in this world, as we all reside together in the murky mires of sin and suffering. Something must give us hope and belief to cherish beyond addressing each burdensome issue together every time.
We can surpass such thinking within ourselves if we continue to actively engage in the prosperous command by Christ to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.