Be A Good Neighbor
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.’ (Matthew 7:12); ‘(23) “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. (24) No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.’ (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)
We need to be good neighbors and not be one who insists someone’s grass that is a little higher than normal or someone’s mailbox that is an inch too high comply or else. I read an article over an argument that ensued when a couple moved into a home in Texas, one without a HOA, and their next-door neighbor and told them ‘there’s neighborhood rules to be followed’ (garbage cans inside a shed or garage, only use earthtones for paint colors, and some other nonsense). When challenged where these were posted or why they were not notified of these rules when they bought the home, the old neighbor replied these were ‘unwritten but enforced’. A couple calls to the city’s code enforcement found these were not ‘enforceable’ as they only existed in the minds of some of the old neighbors, who tried to use intimidation tactics. In the long run, the old neighbors lost in an attempt to ‘enforce’ their ‘rules’, but it soured the new family on the neighborhood and the neighbors in general.
Matthew 7 tells us how we should be as neighbors; we should not judge or antagonize our neighbors but instead treat them the way would want to be treated. We may not like to see an RV parked in our neighbor’s yard with someone living in it, but perhaps that is a friend or family member who has nowhere else to live. If it is not hurting you or affecting your daily life, should it matter? I would hope that if I needed to have one of my kids live in an RV on my property that my neighbors would not be ones that would try to use that against me, that they would want me to afford them the same courtesy if the need should so arise.
Conversely, we need to be respectful of our neighbors; I test our generators (for the possibility of power outages during hurricanes) each month for 30 minutes, usually between noon and 3PM when I know our neighbors will be up, and typically on a Saturday when it’s likely they won’t be home. A car on blocks in the front yard I should have the right to do so; that does not mean it is right to do it (and due to my wife’s insistence on ‘aesthetics’ from watching those Magnolia shows she wouldn’t let me anyway).
There are times when we need to let our neighbors know something is amiss to the extent it is bothering you. Perhaps a tree limb overhanging, or their garbage blows into your yard. Give them the courtesy to talk to them first, they may not have been aware and will be eager to take care of it. For obvious illegal activities, like a drug house where people start coming at all hours, or there are other indications that something nefarious is happening, call the police and report those. Most of the time, though, a simple 5-minute discussion can solve a lifetime of issues when it comes to your neighbors. Be the neighbor you want your neighbors to be!
