Why Didn’t Christians Understand ‘Love Thy Neighbour’?
The idea of love thy neighbour is a core teaching of Christianity, yet its true meaning seems to be misunderstood. Where do we draw the line—our street, our city, or our entire world? This blog challenges the boundaries of love, questioning whether it should be limited by geography, race, or even species. Can we truly follow this principle without embracing all of existence? Let’s explore what it really means to love without limits.
The phrase ‘love thy neighbour’ is one of the most beautiful ideas embedded in the Bible. Yet, historically, it seems to have been overlooked by Christian societies. The problem may lie in the human ego—an attachment to a limited identity that divides rather than unites. But where exactly does the concept of a ‘neighbour’ end? If we are to love our neighbour, how far do we extend that love before we stop?
Defining the Boundaries of Love
Is my neighbour the person living in the house to my right? Or does it also include the one on my left? What about the house across the street? If my street forms my neighbourhood, does that not make the adjacent street my neighbour as well?
Let’s take a larger view—a city block, perhaps? But then, what about the next block over? If I extend love only to my town, should I exclude the next town? And what about states, countries, and continents? Many draw the line at national borders, but doesn’t every country have neighboring nations? Where does the boundary of love truly end? Eventually, if I follow this logic, I must love all humans—regardless of race, nationality, or background.
Expanding Beyond Humanity
If I stop at humanity, am I not ignoring other living beings? Aren’t animals, plants, and all forms of life my neighbours too? If I am to be true to the principle of loving my neighbour, then I must extend my care to everything I see, touch, and feel.
Love and Hypocrisy
If love thy neighbour is the essence of Christianity, then how do we justify events like the Crusades? Can someone claim to be a Christian while waging war against others? Similarly, if I say I have faith in science yet attack all religions without understanding science itself, am I truly a scientist?
We still have time to embrace love—regardless of whether we identify as Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, atheist, or anything else our ego clings to. The question isn’t about which faith we follow; it’s about whether we truly understand and practice love without boundaries.
