Jesus once boiled everything we need to know about living into two simple statements: love God and love your neighbor. Unfortunately, while God is perfect, holy and righteous, neighbors can be downright pains in the caboose. Therefore, Day-by-Day has formulated a plan to make loving your neighbor as easy as one, two, three … and technically four and five plus the weekend.
Day One
What one thing was used to tempt humanity into breaking its very first commandment? Food. As such, it is properly ironic that we respond to Christ’s greatest commandment in similar taste — literally. Whether you whip up a gourmet meal of Easy Mac and Ritz crackers, or merely deliver that unnamable “specialty” pizza from the Caf to your neighbor’s dorm room, love is rarely expressed more honestly than in food offerings. Plus, you could score double Jesus points by picking up some bread and grape juice and initiating a full-blown communion.
Day Two
If you can see the majority of your dorm floor on a regular basis, you are an exception to the college norm. Your neighbor, however, struggles every morning to reach the door past mountains of old socks and trash. If you want to truly express sacrificial love, grab a vacuum, a massive garbage bag and a Hazmat suit and give your neighbor’s room a biblical-scale cleansing. Wash some laundry, make the bed, dust the dresser, whistle while you work and finish before the clock strikes midnight. Mission accomplished.
Day Three
As the semester progresses, finals threaten, projects tighten their nooses and papers start pouring in, chances are your neighbor will soon be drowning in a sea of homework. Be their Good Samaritan. As the priest goes out for Berry Cool and the Levite goes clubbing, stay behind to support your incapacitated neighbor. Read that Psychology chapter to them, test their Hebrew vocabulary and maybe even throw out a few good lines for their SIM paper. Then leave a couple silver coins with their roommate.
Day Four
When all else fails, nothing expresses love better than a dozen roses, a box of chocolates and a brand new Biola coffee mug. Even if it’s not gold, frankincense or myrrh, any heartfelt gift will bring early Christmas joy to your neighbor in a moment. Play November Santa Claus and start dropping mini-presents in their path: yo-yo on the walk to chapel, wooly socks in their backpack, iPod under their French fries. Don’t be afraid to splurge — love is never bound by financial limitations.
Day Five
The written, spoken or sung word is by far the most endearing, sentimental expression of true neighborliness in existence. Therefore, feel free to break out in song or poetry complimenting and encouraging your neighbor on a daily basis. Whether your ditties describe their breathtaking smile or heart-warming compassion, they’re sure to create plenty of hugs and happy faces. We could all take a page out of Mr. Rogers’ songbook, though maybe we’ll leave the sweater behind.
Weekend
College always seems to sift down to one problem: so much to do and so little time to do it. Stretched between homework, jobs, extracurricular commitments and desperate all-nighters, everyone could use an extra hand accomplishing all those randomly necessary errands. When your neighbor is short on toothpaste, out of Cup of Noodles or running dry on printer ink, drive to Wal-Mart and save the day. If you don’t have a car, ride a bike. If you don’t have a bike, run. If you can’t run, buy a jetpack.
