Session 2: Overcoming Barriers to Neighboring

Session 2: Overcoming Barriers to Neighboring

This session confronts us with a profound tension in modern Christian life: we know we're called to love our neighbors, yet we struggle to find time to even meet them. Through the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42, we're challenged to examine what truly consumes our attention. Martha wasn't doing anything wrong—she was serving Jesus himself—yet she missed the 'one thing necessary' because busyness eclipsed presence. Jesus had to call her name twice to get her attention, a piercing image of how our productivity can drown out what matters most. We're invited to audit our calendars and confront three lies that keep us isolated: that things will settle down someday, that more will finally be enough, and that everyone lives this frantically. The truth is, our culture values independence and efficiency over the biblical model of interdependent community. We have devices that supposedly save time, yet we feel more rushed than ever. This isn't just about being better neighbors—it's about recognizing that we were created for community, and when we live segmented, isolated lives, something feels fundamentally off because we're going against our design. The challenge isn't to add neighboring to our to-do list, but to reprioritize our lives around the two greatest commandments: loving God and loving our neighbor.