Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood was a television preschool program that ran from 1968-2001. What was the secret to the success of this 33 year running TV program? Read the lyrics to the song that Mr. Rogers would open the show with:
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
The song would continue:
I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you,
I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.
So let’s make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we’re together we might as well say,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Throughout history, have people always wanted the neighbors that have joined their neighborhood? In his book A Moral Reckoning, Nigel Biggar describes colonialism as having combined ethos of neighborly good and dominating take over. [1] He describes an empire as a political organization where one people group dominates. He also describes colonialism as a dominant people migrating to another part of the world to settle. Biggars specialize in the British Empire and uncovers mixed intentions in their desire to explore the world and settle in distant lands. He poses the question: Could there be good intentions in colonialism? Desiring to trade goods appears to come from good intentions but racism birthed the slave trade, a cruel treatment of man. Biggar shares his hope to inspire honest debate among people by keeping the view that all humans have a mixture of virtue and vice. [2]
Vice
It is right to celebrate the end of slavery. “On February 8, 1815, eight powers in Europe signed a momentous declaration. Slavery was repugnant to the principles of humanity and universal morality.” [3] The end of the African slave trade was a long, hard-fought battle. History provides the luxury of being able to look back and mark the end of this evil. But it should be noted that slavery lasted over 300 years. If we are a mixture of virtue and vice, as Biggar claims, what kept the abomination of slavery occurring so long? “Human community was intended to reflect the image of a triune God – to be a community of love – but it chose to follow the diabolical temptation to put self-interest first.” [4] Biggar’s hope is that people will recognize their own sinfulness thus tempering judgment towards neighbors. I believe it is safe to say that self- interest is here to stay. Is tempered judgment the solution, or is the solution extending forgiveness?
Virtue
Mr. Rogers “Won’t you be my neighbor” diddy suggests: since we are together, we might as well say: Would you be mine? Could you be mine? For this neighborly reality there needs to be a reconciling function. Peter, the disciple, asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:20-22) This is a biblically based view which is not embraced by the majority. Vishal Mangalwadi asserts that “restoration of the authority of the Bible in the English world amounted to a civilization finding its soul,” prior to the end of the slave trade. [5] Bebbington reinforces this view by stating that “Evangelicals were central to the whole enterprise,” in the abolishment of the African slave trade. [6] It can be assumed that for sin to be acknowledged and forgiveness to be extended, a Biblical ethic must be revisited.
It would be interesting to discuss with Biggar, his ethical view that judgment can be curbed with personal assessment of one’s own sinfulness. I would want to challenge him to consider how forgiveness is an imperative for neighbors to thrive. How else are we to be truly neighborly without following Luke 6:37? “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
[1] Biggar, Nigel, Christa Ethicist with John Anderson, You Tube June 30, 2023
[2] Biggar, Nigel, Christa Ethicist with John Anderson, You Tube, June 30, 2023
[3] Holland, Tom, Dominion (Basic Books: New York) 2019, p. 411
[4] Mangalwadi,Vishal, The Book that Made Your World (Thomas Nelson Books: Nashville) 2011, p.301
[5] Ibid., p.270
[6] Bebbington, D.W., Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, (Routledge: London) 1989, p.71
About the Author
Kristy Newport
8 responses to “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
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Great post, Kristy. I would love to “be your neighbor.” I’ve really enjoyed all the stories over the years and getting to know your family and sharing mine through the years has been great. I love the Rogers connection to this week’s reading and bringing it home with Luke 6:37. However, I’ve been drawn to that verse and others on judging. I think like colonialism, it can have good and bad implications. I think what Jesus ultimately was saying in his judgment teachings is that we need to self-reflect and the real judging is of our own self, and the logs in our own eyes. That being said, I think the overall statement Luke makes is on point and reiterates Jesus’ thoughts but sometimes modern society takes it out of context, “don’t judge me!” and “you do you, I’ll do me.” As if it has some sort of Biblical authority in the point of view. Anyway, awesome post. Thanks.
Kristy,
Great post, way to bring it back to the Great Command. God bless you Kristy!
Hey Kristy,
I enjoyed reading your post and how you were able to weave in Mr. Rogers and Bebbington.
The only way we can overcome our sinful past in terms of racism is through forgiveness and grace. To forgive, even today, requires the grace of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness of this magnitude cannot be manufactured by human effort.
Christians had a tremendous impact on slavery ending in Europe. The movement demonstrates the impact Christians can have on a nation when obeying the will of God. (Conversely, Christianity has had a history of conspiring to enslave others for nationalistic purposes.)
However, Walter Wink provides some insight as to what went wrong after slavery ended (in general terms, but applicable here). In his book, The Powers That Be, he writes on pages 95–96, “The ego is a web of internalized social conventions, a tale spun by the Domination System that we take as self-definition. We are not only possessed by the ego as an autonomous inner complex but also by an outer network of beliefs that we have internalized. The unquestionably authentic religious experience of ‘rebirth’ often fails to issue fundamentally changed lives because the social dimension of egocentricity is not addressed. Many South Africans died to their privatized egos, but not to apartheid. Thus, dying to one’s ego can be just another false spirituality, unless it involves dying to the Powers.
The passage helps me to understand what happens when we’ve tried to end racism but done nothing to dismantle the ungodly constructs of racial hierarchy or the systems in place that continue to undergird inequalities. In some respects, the Domination System continues to play shell games by moving pieces around, calling racialized systems by different names.
Just some thoughts. I tried to respond to your question on forgiveness that you posed in my post.
I’m curious about your thoughts on Wink’s book, especially since it dealt with the ego.
Audrey,
Wow, I am trying to chew on what you shared about Wink. This is standing out to me:
The unquestionably authentic religious experience of ‘rebirth’ often fails to issue fundamentally changed lives because the social dimension of egocentricity is not addressed.
I think this really nails it! I think I need to write this down somewhere. When will we as Christians look at and evaluate the social dimensions (namely family dimensions) of egocentricty? Oh God, help us!! Repentance- I believe this is where we need to begin. Our family is attempting to move into this more. Asking for forgiveness. My family is not good at this. My husband and I are trying to look at ourselves in this area.
Thanks for your thoughtful response to my blog.
Kristy, great post. I love Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood! What a great connection. I have spent the past several days at the Society for Pentecostal Studies where the theme has been focused on refugees and reconciliation. I think your commentary on forgiveness is spot on. My presentation at this conference was about Jesus’ approach to power and how He showed us the path to reconciliation through intimacy with the Father, rejection of status, compassion, and non-coercive relationships. I am sure in the coming days I will have much to process from this conference, especially in light of our reading.
Kristy, Great post! I love the way you brought in outside sources, particularly Rogers and Bebbington. Did you remember that info from our reading of Bebbington?
You’re amazing. Appreciate your great writing and thoughtful post!
Jenny,
I did remember this because
I love William Wilburforce is a hero of mine.
If we had more time or opportunity- I would have loved to look at this amazing leader while in this program!
Kristy,
Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood was probably one of the most impactful shows for me as a kid. Love the post.