We’ve been thinking about Love, during this second week of Advent, including important concepts like loving by serving, love empowering obedience, and loving even our enemies.

Today, let’s just go back to basics: “Love your neighbor as yourself” – here are some suggestions, courtesy of The Navigators for how to do that. (Click the chart to see a larger version you can download for yourself.)

Seven simple things:

• Greet people
• Go out front (instead of hiding in your backyard)
• Go first
• Gather contact information
• Give and receive
• Get creative
• Go before God in prayer for your neighbors

I’d add one more that’s helped us: Get a dog! I meet more neighbors and have more conversations with neighbors while walking our dog than at any other time. These simple steps remind me of the Sugar Cubes illustration I wrote about a couple of years ago: simple actions add up.

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5.13 – 16, ESV)