BY SETH PIERCE
N 1994, POLLYANNA PICKERING EMBARKED on an incredible expedition by traveling to the remote Tibetan borderlands in a quest to find and paint one of the rarest of all God's creatures: the giant panda.
A year of research and organization was necessary to open the door into regions of China that had been open to Westerners for only eight months. Upon arrival, she stopped at several reserves to paint the pandas; but the pinnacle of her trip happened at a tiny place called Fentergxiao, on the borders of the Tibetan plateau.
It was a grueling three-day journey to arrive at this small reserve, which had an animal hospital where she worked for six months with a baby panda. While she was able to paint and take care of the baby, however, it wasn't what she had come for. She had begun her quest to find one in the wild.
Toward the end of the trip a local hospital worker took her and others on a special trek. Traveling for three hours through dense undergrowth, they beheld something that made them forget any frustrations they may have had: a giant panda in the wild. There have been perhaps 50 Westerners in the world--ever--who have seen such a sight. That's fewer people than have climbed Mount Everest. Pollyanna's expedition for discovery was a success.
People Like Discovering
People love adventures and expeditions. The prospect of rare specimens and valuable treasures that we can hold up before the world provokes us to frenzy. My wife and I recently honeymooned in West Palm Beach, and I got obsessed with finding unique shells. I'd go out walking with my wife on the shore and get so intent searching for shells that she would have to scream and flail at me before I'd realize that I'd left her behind!
We thrive on the thrill of the hunt. You don't believe me? Have you watched the barrage of delightfully deranged people on television tracking dangerous animals with a more than probable chance of injuring themselves--all for the viewing pleasure of thousands? It isn't enough that people endanger themselves, but we tune in because we want to participate--whether it's finding a crocodile with a crazy Australian, to share in his victory when he captures it, or to get a cheap laugh when the croc captures him!
But it's more than animals and science. Discovering the American Idol, Fame, or the Last Comic Standing is a weeknight activity. And how many have enjoyed an Indiana Jones adventure--questing for the lost ark, surviving the temple of doom, or racing to retrieve the holy grail before the Nazis do?
When kids think about getting a higher education, or when we try to get them excited about learning, we usually have suggestions such as "You might find the cure for cancer" or "You might be on the first mission/expedition to Mars." We have this marvelous fascination with discovery. Our whole culture is permeated with it.
Please don't misunderstand. This article isn't bashing the desire to discover, crocodile hunters, Indiana Jones, or visions for kids' future. On the contrary, I believe it's God who placed within us this desire to seek. In addition, He has graciously given us a world with mysterious creatures, lost cities, cures, and other things too numerous to mention, that are worth seeking. However, one thing deserves to be mentioned because in the Word of God it's mentioned more than 10 times in 8 different books. And amid all the fuss around catching crocodiles, seeking thrills, breakthroughs in science, and even evangelistic successes, the things we have been called to find remain elusive and unreported.
The Ultimate Discovery
In the Word of God there is a being mentioned, a creature that walks this world, that is more valuable than the lost city of gold and more important than finding a cure for the most wretched disease. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, you are about to find out what you and I should be seeking with every intentional effort. The most incredible specimen alive is not a white tiger, a whooping crane, or even a Golden-rumped Lion Tamarin (yes, it's a real animal).
It's a neighbor.
Yes, that's right! As unclimactic as it may seem, the neighbor is the most important of species to a Christian, yet it is the most intimidating and elusive. Before your mind begins to protest what you have just read concerning the neighbor's elusiveness and intimidation factor, let me first demonstrate the neighbor's importance.
James 2:8 states, "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well." King Jesus tells us that the royal law of heaven says that God's will for your life as directed by His commandments (which is a fundamental for Adventists) cannot be accomplished without a neighbor.
Second, Matthew 19:16 records the words of a rich young ruler who approaches Jesus with a crucial question: "What must I do to be saved?" Jesus then proceeds to tell him to keep the commandments and specifically mentions "Love your neighbor as yourself" (verse 19), giving us an indication that loving our neighbor plays a role in salvation. Now, don't get jumpy about righteousness by faith. There are some people who have a personal crisis and a spiritual episode if you use the words commandment and salvation in the same sentence. That's not what I said. I said it plays a role, or its part of the package.
Knowing Where to Look
So where do we find these creatures known as neighbors? As an intelligent explorer knows, you can't very well look for something when you have no idea where it might be (trust me, I lose my keys all the time). Thankfully the word neighbor itself, as used in the Bible, gives us some insight into the location of this choice specimen.
Strong's concordance contains three definitions for the Greek word for neighbor. One secondary definition states that a neighbor is a "friend." This doesn't quite cut it for me, because Matthew 5:46 says, "If you love those who love you, what reward have you?" (RSV). Loving people who love you is common sense for most people, and a natural tendency. The next secondary definition listed is "fellow human being."
I think this is true in a sense, but I can't remember all the names of the people in my church, and the thought of everybody needing some of my love can be overwhelming. Many of the sermons and books I have seen and read on loving your neighbor tend to drift toward this definition; but it is such a huge concept that Christians never strive for anything beyond being nice. Let me add that I believe we have brothers and sisters all over the world who need our help, but I want to hone the idea of a neighbor down to its most practical application. Ellen White says, "Christianity is always intensely practical" (Youth's Instructor, Mar. 9, 1893). Thankfully, there is a straightforward definition of the word "neighbor" that helps us get so practical it'll make you scream!
Nearby.
Webster's dictionary expounds and provides insight into what this term means for our culture. Webster's says a neighbor is "someone who lives near or next to another." Thankfully, another word helps to specify the location of these neighbors--no overspiritualizing, no strings attached, and no messy cleanup.
Neighborhood.
"Neighborhood" is defined as "a district of people living next to one another." Wow. Are you getting it yet? Maybe you are still wondering where you could find a neighborhood. Well, if you were to walk out of your house right now and look around, you might see other dwellings next to yours, signifying that you, my friend, live in a neighborhood, and in those dwellings a few feet away from you reside bona fide neighbors!
You're probably thinking to yourself, This is the dumbest thing I have ever read in my life! I know all this. But let me tell you what is even dumber: just because we know something doesn't mean we do it. Second, many times we perceive that knowing something qualifies us as having experienced something. Quite frankly, a lot of Christians are ignorant when it comes to fulfilling the law of God, because they believe knowing their neighbor equals loving them. There's a difference. Knowing your neighbor says, "I'd like to find out what you're all about." Loving someone says, "I'd like to invest my life in yours."
What Do I Do After I Find Them?
I propose that a revolution would take place if Seventh-day Adventists took the Bible literally and began going house to house finding and loving their neighbors. How do we demonstrate Christ's love? That's the easiest and most practical part of all. Jesus set an example of how we are to love, and it is applied for us in Galatians 5:13, "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."
Service done in love can open doors. Not everyone is ready to study the Bible, but they might like to be taken out to eat and chat. Not everyone wants to come to church with you, but they might like to come over to your house for an evening of socializing. Not everyone wants to come to the work bee (pastors don't even like that), but they might like it if you offered to mow their lawn, paint their house, water their yard, or weed their garden. Not everyone wants their kids at Vacation Bible School, but they might like it if you offered to baby-sit for free so they could get some time away. The possibilities are limited only to your imagination and God's Holy Spirit.
Brothers and sisters, our mission-driven church prays so often, "Lord, just bring someone across my path." I ask you, How much closer does God have to put someone than "next door"?
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Seth Pierce is an associate pastor for the Wichita South church in Wichita, Kansas. He enjoys being a newlywed, speaking, and writing.
