The first half of the Jesus Creed is to love God with everything we are and we’ve got. The second half is to love others [probably also with with everything we are and we’ve got]. “Loving others is a great idea until ‘Mr. or Ms. Other’ happens to be a person you don’t like.”
Loving others easily slides into loving our best friends or those most like us. The challenge of the Jesus Creed, which we are to repeat daily and throughout the day, is to love others — not just neighbors and friends — but all others. Our enemies included.

We will need to repeat this 40 Days as we prepare for Pentecost, because only Pentecost’s Spirit can generate in us a love that can reach out to all others, even to our enemies. This is why in 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed we emphasize dipping into this theme daily rather than thinking we can figure it all out at once and move on. We can’t; or at least I can say we don’t.
Who is your neighbor? The question is not answered by looking next door but by paying attention to anyone you bump into today. Not tomorrow, but today.