Refrigerator Rights

As a kid, I had refrigerator rights at a few of my neighbor’s houses. That is the ability to get food out of the fridge without asking permission. Lock myself out of the house, I could walk over to the neighbors. Get a flat tire on my bike and someone would drive me home. The 70’s for me was truly that anecdote of a neighbor getting on me when I did something wrong and then calling my parents afterward.

I don’t want to romanticize it too much. My mom wasn’t June Cleaver, but there was more stay at home moms, no video games or cable TV and my bike was the mode of transportation. I had to make my bed every day, mow the yard once a week and we typically played outside until someone’s mom screamed for them to come in and then whatever game we were playing under the street lights ended.

Reflecting on Martin Luther King this weekend made me reflect on my old neighborhood. MLK often shared a sermon theme on “love your neighbor as yourself.” King’s version of neighbor was much bigger than just the person next door and the group of people who look and act like you. MLK’s version of love your neighbor emphasized compassion. He stressed a biblical view of the neighborhood.

Culturally we have lost that connection with our neighbors and our community. We will pack a room to hear a political candidate, but do we show up to help revitalize a neighborhood or school? We will be first in line to see the newest movie but do we volunteer for local agencies?

Courage is required to help others. If we are to honor MLK’s message today, we have to move away from the “what’s in it for me?” mentality to a movement of compassion and mercy. We should treat with compassion the neighbors we encounter who are in need. They may be the kid next door with the flat tire or the family you read about in the paper. Your neighbor in need may be that third world kid on the late night commercials or a co-worker in the cubicle down the hall. Your neighbor may only need a shoulder to cry on or a consoling hug.

Martin Luther King may say to us today, just unplug, look around and see what good we can do.