The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door

by Jay Pathak

When Jesus sent out the seventy-two, he gave them instructions that offer us insight into how we can best engage our neighbors. The seventy-two were called to teach, pray, and serve, and were given specific instructions on how they were supposed to do so. Jesus didn’t just send them out and say, “Go and make a difference in people’s lives.” Instead he challenged them to look for something specific in those they met. Jesus instructed them to find a certain type of person in every city they entered—a person of peace (Luke 10:5–6). You may wonder what this has to do with neighboring. The term person of peace refers to someone hospitable and open to becoming a friend. Once the disciples found a person of peace, Jesus told his followers to stay with that person. He told them specifically not to move around. At first glance, this seems odd. Shouldn’t the disciples have moved around as much as possible? Wouldn’t it have been best for them to stay with several different people throughout the towns? Certainly this would have allowed them to have a wider impact.