Being a Good Neighbor

An article in my hometown paper this morning has caused me great concern.

A man living across the street from a church in the county where I live has filed a civil complaint against the church because of the loud music coming from the church during worship services last summer. Apparently the man had complained about the noise, beginning in August. In September, township police went into the church, talked to the musicians, and took their names for a report. No charges were filed.

But the neighbor says the noise problem wasn’t addressed and felt he had no recourse but to file the civil complaint. The church has responded by filing a lawsuit of its own — in federal court, alleging violation of the church’s and band members’ First Amendment right to free exercise of religion, free speech and freedom of association.

What a terrible shame that this dispute has come to this. What a shame that this could not have been solved by neighbor talking to neighbor. What a pathetic witness to the love of Jesus Christ.

Love, you’ll remember, is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs (I Cor. 13:5). The Christian’s response is radically different from the world’s: If someone wants to sue you, and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. (Matt. 5:39). Filing lawsuits against one’s neighbor is not loving your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37-39) Paul reminds the Roman Christians to not repay anyone evil for evil but to be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody, and if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Rom 12:17-18).

It seems to me that this whole dispute could have been solved much more lovingly and biblically if the church’s pastor and worship leader had paid a visit last summer to their disgruntled neighbor and worked out a compromise with the man. Perhaps they could have agreed to turn down the band’s amps a notch or two and closed the church’s doors during the summer.

There’s nothing in Scripture that says Christians have a right to praise God at 70 decibels; certainly He is not hard of hearing. The neighbor is not trying to keep the church from worshipping God; he only wants to enjoy a quiet Sunday morning. Certainly a gentle answer and a cooperative spirit will do more to get that neighbor off his porch and into church himself than a lawsuit will.

Comments

[Jim Howard]

It's all in Matthew, isn't it? If you're offering a sacrifice (say, a bloody eardrum) and you remember that someone has a grievance against you, go work that out and then come back and finish offering the sacrifice.

On the other hand, isn't just a few chapters later that we're advised, "Why worry about the mote of Christian rock in your neighbor's ear when you've got a whole litigious boulder in yours?"

I don't know, I think this may be a bad translation I'm looking at....

Hope you're feeling well, Lee Anne!