How well are we loving our neighbors?
February 18, 2025
At Bridge of Hope our first core value is “Following Jesus.”
As a child, growing up in a Jewish household in the time of the Roman Empire, Jesus would have repeated the Shema at sunrise and sunset each day:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children…. Bind them as a sign on your hand….” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
As an adult, when asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus repeated the Shema from Deuteronomy and then added:
“And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37- 40)
If we are following Jesus, that will mean loving God by loving our neighbor.
So, how well are you and I loving God, by loving our neighbors?
It reminds me of that song from my childhood, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”
I love watching Neighboring Volunteers – from so many different types of churches across our 20 Bridge of Hope locations – who love God so well, by loving a family journeying out of homelessness.
Here’s what Neighboring has looked like this past year at one church, who are walking with a mom and her son, in Bridge of Hope:
- Providing childcare during Christmas break and spring break when school was out, and the mom was working.
- Picking up food at the food pantry when the mom is running short of time and short on food.
- Enjoying a girls’ night out together with this single mom, to love on her.
- Listening well, to the struggles, the joys and all the hard things on the journey out of homelessness.
- Sharing meals together.
- Taking this mom’s son fishing and swimming with their own children.
And the list goes on. Neighboring looks a lot like love.
When we love God by loving our neighbor well, joy abounds.
As followers of Jesus, we have a lot of loving left to do. Last year’s homelessness reports tracked a 39% increase in family homelessness across the country. I’m convinced that there are more communities across the country with Christian faith communities that are ready to live out their love of God, by loving their neighbors facing homelessness.
Might now be the moment for your community to join the Neighboring movement, following Jesus while loving families facing homelessness? I’d love to hear from you!
Edith Yoder
Chief Executive Officer
Help Us Launch a Location
Speaking of your community… we are currently building a team of engaged ambassadors in Berks County, PA as we explore starting an Affiliate location there to serve families facing homelessness. If you live in Berks County, our Chief Mission Officer, Melissa Diem, would love to hear from you and share the progress being made: melissad@bridgeofhopeinc.org.
Strategic Approach to End Family Homelessness
At Bridge of Hope, we are working strategically to address both the affordable housing crisis and the crisis of loneliness (lack of connection) that families facing homelessness are trying to claw their way out of each day. If you’d like to hear more about our specific strategies, email me (edithy@bridgeofhopeinc.org). I’d love to share our three strategic pathways with you.
Join us for our highly anticipated Bridge of Hope Spring Gala on Friday, May 9, 2025, at the DoubleTree Resort in Lancaster! There are several ways that you can help make this event a success as we prepare to make a special announcement that will share how we’re “Making Room for More…” families to have a place to call home! Learn more about the Gala: