My Noisy Neighbors
January 30, 2008
I had just settled into a comfortable position on the porch-swing; it had been a long day and I was looking forward to resting for awhile, reflecting on the events of the week. Boom! It sounded like a car wreck, then again, boom! Then more…boom! boom! boom! I was up out of the swing with the first boom, but what was going on? Looking across our street, I saw the source of the noise; it wasn’t a car accident or even something remotely wrong. I simply saw my new neighbor standing at the top of the small hill in his yard with his hands on his hips, watching as the refrigerator he had just pulled out of his house rolled, end over end, down the hill. As it came to rest, he turned and went back in the house (unfortunately, it’s still sitting where he left it a month ago). I only wish this was a one time incident. My new neighbors moved in a couple of months ago. I knew we might be in for some interesting times, when they pulled their 1987 Chevy Van into the driveway. It doesn’t have a back window, or a muffler. Yes, it’s very noisy; I know every time they start it up. There are children that live in the home too, at least 5. You could say that they are a bit on the wild side and they have plenty of friends. Yep, they create some noise as well. The first week they moved in, I had to call 911. It appeared to be some kind of domestic disturbance. There were a lot of people in the driveway and from my front porch I could see that someone was hurt. An ambulance came in Emergency mode. I thought to myself how noisy it was. I’m embarrassed to say that I was more concerned about the noise than the person hurt. The girls from the house hang out in the street, while the boys from the neighborhood all gather around. These girls like to squeal when the boys impress them. The adults fight a lot. With their fights, however, comes very passionate making up. All this goes on in the front yard; they appear not to be hiding anything, because much of their family life unfolds outside in their yard. And so it goes, their lives being played out in view of the neighborhood. I’m very aware that I live in the city. I know that city life is filled with noise: fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, supersonic boom radios in many cars, old cars that struggle to run smoothly and people walking the streets, all add up to a lot of noise. I’ve actually grown to ignore most of it; in fact, I don’t even notice it anymore. But this time, things were different; it was close and really loud. I’ve come to realize that I know more about these neighbors than I want to and most of it is because they’re noisy. As I sat back down and got comfortable after the refrigerator incident, I started to wonder why their noise bothered me so much. What was it about my noisy neighbors that caused me such indignation? I think sometimes that it is my belief that I deserve to have some peace and quiet at the end of my busy day of serving people. After all, I’m in the people serving business. Just a few minutes to collect my thoughts and rest my brain from the tensions of the day are well earned. I also think that I’m pretty consumed by my own agenda and when it’s interrupted, I find out how inflexible and uncompassionate I really am. But mostly, I believe I was comparing myself to them. I was watching them and subconsciously evaluating their behavior. My conclusion is that I see myself as being better than they are because I certainly wouldn’t roll my refrigerator down a hill or make out with my wife in the front yard. And because of my natural conclusions of superiority, it was acceptable for me not to want to be bothered by their inferior behavior. Thinking I’m better than others has no place in The Kingdom. Jesus said so, “Consider others needs as more important than your own”. He demonstrated it, by His continual sacrifices and availability. And He prayed it, “Father, let them be one, as We are one.” Jesus chose to spend His time with those unaccepted by the religious circles of His day. Those in the religious circles were consumed with their own religious image because their image translated into their ability to control. Their self-serving compassion and concern for others was only a front for their own individual agendas. I need the city. I understand more and more how much I need the city. You see, the city is filled with very diverse people. There are wonderful people in the city from all walks of life. And there are extremely needy people in the city as well. We all live together. There are wealthy, poor, black, white, Latino and many other cultures trying to learn how to co-exist together. Such diversity stretches us to see things differently. It forces us to embrace the differences of others’ lifestyles, customs and preferences. It’s interesting how God can use a glass of ice tea and a front porch swing to reveal Himself. I guess the proximity to my noisy neighbors was really the tool He used to unveil how much I can be self absorbed. I suppose there is also another step I need to take beyond learning to be patient with my neighbor’s noise. That involves somehow actually entering into their life. I’m sure it will increase the noise level in my life and probably even cost me something. It’s amazing how God takes my proximity to people who are very different from me and slowly transforms me, one baby step at time.
Cityscapes is written by Chris Martin, President, Knoxville Leadership Foundation.
