30 Ways to Love your Neighbor, even through Social Distancing

Many of us have heard some form of this truth over the past week: There is a fine line between panic and preparedness.

Isn’t it ironic that, while seemingly no one can escape some
form of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, while we’re all in this together, the
most important thing we can do right now is separate ourselves from one
another? We’re all in this together, yet we hunker down, apart.

Even as mystery and fear surround this sickness, even as the
CDC urges no gatherings of 10 or more, I urge you, strangers and friends, to
focus outward, not inward. Choose faith over fear. Count your blessings. Pray
boldly, and pray without ceasing. And, during this unprecedented time of need,
love your neighbor.

Copyright Tori Press @revelatori (Instagram)

It is so tempting to want to hole up during this time of
wild uncertainty. It is tempting to want to control every corner of your life
that you can: stock your pantry, cash in on investments, hoard enough toilet
paper to last your family until Christmas.

There is a fine line between preparedness and panic.

Before the coronavirus made its way to American shores, we were a nation wrestling with an epidemic of loneliness. How easy it is to lose touch with each other, to fear strangers, to stay protected by keeping to yourself. Now, our whole country is under a heavy expectation of social distancing, encouraging us to pull into ourselves even more and limit our exposure to the outside world.

In this time of crisis, even as we navigate life apart from
each other, let us not forget our neighbors.

Do not let fear convince you to stick your head in the sand.
If all we do during this time of social isolation is focus on ourselves, our
whole world will go grey. It will lose its color, its energy, its life.

Inward focus breeds panic.

Outward focus breeds compassion.

Inward focus breeds fear.

Outward focus breeds faith.

Hoarding is an act of selfishness. Helping is the opposite.

Just because we remain physically distant from one another does
not mean we cannot still acknowledge and love our neighbors. In fact, there has
never been a better opportunity to serve our neighbors. From the shelter of our
homes, there has never been a more important time to look outward, to see the
world beyond ourselves.

Who are your neighbors? The people who God puts in your
path. Your mail carrier. The school janitor. The widower in his 70s who lives
on the street corner. A college student you know who is suddenly moving back
home. The teenager on your street who desperately wants to escape to …
somewhere.

How can you love your neighbor? Let us count the ways. Over the next 30 days, I’ll post on Facebook and on Twitter (@Meadowswriter) 30 ways to love your neighbor through the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ll post one new suggestion every day, using hashtag #loveyourneighbor.

Have you encountered or do you have an awesome idea for how
to serve your neighbor in this crisis? Please share it, and I’ll be sure to
pass it along.

Are you someone who lacks food or specific resources at this
time? Please have the courage to reach out and ask for help. So many people have
servant hearts and long to help people in need – no questions asked.

How could a willing neighbor specifically help you or someone you know, right now? Tell me on Facebook, on Twitter or via email at kate@katemeadows.com.

Numerous news articles have pointed out how the closures,
cancellations and social distancing sweeping our nation is exposing gaps in the
inequities of our society. Children with access to internet and computers at
home will continue to learn, but what about children with no internet or
computer access at home? Children with stable parents will be cared for at
home, but what about children in unstable households? Families with extended
family nearby have each other to lean on, but what about families with no one
close by?

Above all, through this time of isolation, let’s keep the
conversation going. Although we are physically separated, let us seek ways to
stay connected and serve each other in love.

None of us can save the world. None of us will be world heroes.
But, through courageous, outward-focused service, all of us can be heroes of
the corner of the world we’re in. Imagine if we all moved forward looking out
while staying in.