Neighbors

I said that I would be more informational with posts from now on with the biking trip over if you want to check in for quick updates on human trafficking, and I will.  Right now, though, I noticed that I had a draft saved for a post that I was about to write in New Mexico and never did.  So instead I will finish that post tonight.

While in New Mexico we spent a lot of our time on major roads.  At times we even saw signs saying that cyclists could ride on an Interstate as long as they stayed on the shoulder.  We did our best to avoid those anyway.  Those major roads, like US 60 and US 54, are actually rather empty.  Not only do you see little of civilization but you also see very few cars.  But the cars that you do see are extremely friendly.  I can't tell you how many drivers I saw waving to me, oftentimes slowing down to make sure that I saw them offering their expression of friendship. 


I am convinced, after the hospitality that Char and Clay of High Country Lodge and the nurses at the hospital gave us, that the waves are not aberrations in New Mexican behavior.  Apparently New Mexicans are just very friendly and treat everyone as a true neighbor.  That is the essence of hospitality and love.  If you believe that everyone is your neighbor then you are more likely to go out of your way to show your support and care, even if in reality you have no idea who they are. 


We need to believe that everyone is our neighbor.  As John Wesley said long ago, the world is our parish.  Restricting our love and care to the people closest to us ignores the fact that we are all intertwined in a mysterious but powerful way.  Everyone is our neighbor.  You yourselves have proved how much can be accomplished when you think of everyone as your neighbor--check out the Donations page and see that you have raised more than $3,000.00 for Polaris Project to fight human trafficking.  You should be proud.  More than that, you should be so proud as to serve as future motivation and inspiration to continue working hard fighting human trafficking, because now you know that you have gotten your feet wet and done quite a lot. 


Thank you, to all of you, who have looked out for your neighbors, even those neighbors whom you will never meet.