1000 Cups of Tea: Don't Just Walk Past

How are you, friends? How have your conversations with your neighbors been? Have you invited anyone over for tea yet? I would love to hear your stories!

Throughout the scriptures Jesus invites us to rethink what it truly means to be a neighbor. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan all walked along the same road and encountered the same wounded man, a man that had been stripped, beaten, and left half-dead. Each of them saw the suffering of this man, yet only one of them stopped.

The Samaritan moved toward this suffering man with compassion and care, going out of his way to tend to his wounds and ensure he was safe. Through this story, Jesus reminds us that being a neighbor is not about status, identity, or proximity; it is about love expressed through action.

This can spark an important question for us: how do we respond to the people around us who are hurting or spiritually lost? Do we walk past or stop?

What efforts do we make to reach out to our neighbors with the hope of the gospel? Do we just walk past them, or do we stop?

Do the people in our lives know the good news of Jesus? And if they do not, are we willing to be the ones who gently and faithfully share it? Or will we just walk on by?

As I have been sharing over and over again, part of loving our neighbors well is learning how to truly connect with them. One of the ways you can connect is by learning their language, both literally and culturally. Language learning is not just about vocabulary or grammar; it is about relationship. When we take the time to understand how people speak, think, and express themselves, we communicate something deeper. We express that we care enough to meet them where they are. In this way, learning their language becomes an act of love and a bridge for the gospel.

You see, the mission field is not just somewhere far away. Our mission field is in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, and in our schools. Every day we encounter people who may never have truly heard the good news or who may be longing for hope. The conversations we have in our daily lives, the language we naturally use, or even a language we choose to learn can become opportunities to share the love of Christ.

Do we notice our neighbors? Do we recognize how deeply they need the hope of the gospel? Do we carry within us a desire to share it with them? Personal evangelism begins with seeing the people God has already placed within the circle of our lives. The harvest field that Jesus spoke about is right where you are.

Sharing the gospel with our neighbors will flow out of a heart that has been shaped by the gospel. When we truly understand the grace and mercy we have received, loving our neighbors, including sharing the good news with them, will become a natural expression of that love.

You might think I’m crazy to suggest you learn new languages, enter new communities, or step beyond your comfort zone to share the Word, but I promise you, I am not; I truly believe that God can take all these things and use them for His glory. If our goal is simply to learn a language or to move into a new community, the process can feel overwhelming. But if our goal is to know people, to love them deeply, and to be part of their lives, it all becomes something different, something God can use.

Ultimately, we can be people who behold the goodness and glory of God and then tell others what we have seen. As we learn new languages, enter new cultures, and form relationships with people around us, we are simply living out that calling. Please know that wherever God places you now or has already placed you, you can lovingly share the greatest news the world has ever known.

So, friends, grab a neighbor and a pot of tea and begin building those relationships, learn a new language, and share Jesus. He is worth all of it.