An Arkie’s Faith Neighbors

and live according to the same laws. While the neighbor may disagree on some things, the neighbors’ fundamental beliefs and practices would be similar, if not the same.

I thought about my neighbors on my street. They look very similar to me and have beliefs close to mine. That is what a neighbor should be. It is easy to love your neighbor as yourself when they are wonderful people with similar looks and beliefs. But Jesus did not endorse this understanding of loving your neighbors.

When asked, “Who is my neighbor,” Jesus told the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. You know the story. A priest and a Levite, church leaders, see a fellow church member who has been beaten and left by the side of the road. Both leaders see the man but do not stop to help. In contrast, a non-believer stopped and helped the church member. As a supposed enemy of the church, he was the last person expected to help. But he had great compassion for the person in need and helped him even though it cost him a lot of money.

Who was the neighbor? Was it the church leaders, or was it the non-believer? When Jesus asked this question, “The expert on the law answered, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Then go and do what he did.’ Luke 10:37 (NCV) the second half of the broken timber and, finding a root I could pry against, was able to hold the timber in place, and the mower crawled onto the timber, breaking free.

Your neighbor is the person God calls you to love despite your differences of opinion and life choices. According to Jesus, your neighbors are the ones who may be hard for you to love, yet they are the very ones God is calling you to extend mercy to today.

As we helped Phil back on his mower, I thought about how lucky I was to live in my neighborhood. I have wonderful neighbors who are always willing to help each other. As I was thinking about how blessed I was, I thought about a story in the Bible about neighbors.

“Then an expert on the law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to get life forever?” Jesus said, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” The man answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” Also, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

Jesus said to him, “Your answer is right. Do this and you will live.” But the man, wanting to show the importance of his question, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:25-29 (NCV)

Who is my neighbor? It seems like an easy question. For me, the answer would be someone who lives on my one-blocklong street. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of neighbor is “one living or located near another.” But Jesus did not define neighbor this way.

When God commands us to love our neighbor, who is he talking about? God’s people have asked this question for thousands of years. For the nation of Israel, the assumption was that the neighbor was a fellow Israelite who shared the same faith practices. They would eat the same foods

Gentle Reader, we all have neighbors. I hope the neighbors on your street are as wonderful as mine. But Jesus taught that our neighbor is anyone in need of our help. It doesn’t matter if they have the same beliefs we do. It isn’t easy to show compassion to someone so different from us in opinions and lifestyle. That’s because we identify that person as an enemy.

But Jesus shows us that loving your neighbor shows love and compassion without strings attached, even for a perceived enemy. “My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.” 1 John 3:18 (NCV)

Let’s ask God for help to love our neighbor, to open our eyes to see the people around us and care for their needs.

Wickes Trade Day

Saturday, May 27, 9 a.m. - TBD

Located in Wickes on Hwy. 278 on the lawn between Union Bank and the fire station. Vendor set-up is at 8 a.m.

Support local businesses. Enjoy Hispanic food, BBQ, baked goods, tumblers wood works, items from Double R Forge, freshies, homemade cards, floral arrangements, key chains, clothes, jewelry, pony rides, face painting, and more. Vendors are not guaranteed to be present as unforeseen circumstances may arise. Call 479-216-8234 for any questions.

Ouachita Little Theatre

“The Fantasticks”

“The Fantasticks” musical, directed by April Renee Burt, is scheduled to run July 28-30 and Aug. 4-6 at the Ouachita Little Theatre.

The allegorical story concerns two neighboring fathers who trick their children into falling in love by pretending to feud.

As always, tickets will be available online at OLTMena.com or at the OLT box office. Look for more details closer to the performance dates.

Free sack lunch each Tuesday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., for all ages, at Janssen Park pavilion. Bubbles, chalk, free books, games, and music. Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church. Meals will be available all summer, May 30 through August 15.

The Democratic Party of Polk County Arkansas will meet Monday, June 12 at PaPa’s Mexican Café, 1317 Hwy. 71 South. Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. so come early if you plan to socialize and eat. We welcome newcomers and all residents of Polk County. Any questions or concerns call Linda G. Johnson at (479) 234-7966.

Polk County Social Seniors will be meeting at the Fish Nest in Glenwood at a new time, noon, for the June 8, meeting. If you need a ride, meet at Mena Walmart parking lot by 11 a.m. For questions call Linda Johnson at 956-241-2633 or e-mail at gijanejohnson@ gmail.com

Narcotics Anonymous meet at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, noon - 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 7 p.m. on Thursday, 7 p.m. on Friday, and 6 p.m. on Saturday at the old bus barn at the Crossing Church. For information call Erica at (479) 234-5289 or Candice at (501) 356-8300.

The Polk County Housing Authority has Rental Vouchers available. They are also in need of Applicants and Landlords. Contact them at 509 S. Morrow, Mena, (479) 394-1565 or polkarhousing.com

First Presbyterian Church will be presenting a study, “The Evolution of the Bible”, in its Adult Sunday School Class on Sunday mornings beginning at 9:45. The class will be conducted by Earl Harrell. Anyone with an interest in this study is invited to attend. Classes will be at the church in the parlor, 904 Church Ave., Mena.

Benefit dinner and auction for Rick Goss, at the Hatfield Auditorium, 4:30 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Rick is battling cancer. Pulled pork sandwiches and fixings for

Around Town

donation served at 4:30. Auction starts at 6 p.m. Items include Browning lever action 270 rifle, Stoeger double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun, Smith & Wesson shield plus 9 mm pistol, bedroom furniture set, homemade quilt by Sharon Judkins, gift certificate for load of shale by Roger Beggs, homemade desserts. Items can be donated for the auction. Call Brandy at (479) 216-8958.

GriefShare continues to meet every Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon at First Presbyterian Church Mena for anyone in the community who is grieving the loss of a loved one.

The Hatfield Branch Library is open every Tuesday and Friday from noon - 4 p.m. The library is located at 121 Cemetery Rd. (old Agri building) in Hatfield.

The Cove Branch Library is open Monday and Thursday from noon - 5 p.m. The Library is located next to Cove Town Hall at 5568 Hwy. 71 S.

The Mena/Polk County Senior Center will have The Gator and Friends band performing in Mena every Thursday, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

The Center has an exercise class on Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Contact Trena Looney with questions, (479) 394-5459.

Polk County Disabled American Veterans and Auxiliary will be hosting their meetings at the American Legion building in Acorn on June 1. Potluck begins at 6 p.m. with meetings to follow.

Free meal and a message at Living Word, 171 W. Johnson, Hatfield, Wednesdays @ 6 p.m.

The Cossatot Senior Center in Wickes has meals and activities for seniors. If you need to make delivery arrangements or changes call (870) 385-2373.

Hatfield First Baptist Church

“Shepherd’s Closet” Open Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - noon. Large selection of good, used clothing & a limited supply of non-perishable food items. Free to anyone in need.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at The Crossing Church, 3 p.m., Sundays; at 5 p.m., Tuesdays; and at 8 p.m. Saturdays at the old bus barn. For information call (479) 234-8366 or (479) 216-3786.

The Food Pantry at the Mena Seventh Day Adventist Church is open every first and third Monday of each month, 4 - 6 p.m., located at Fair Grounds Road. For more information, call (479) 437-4018.

American Legion meets every 2nd Tuesday at the Legion Hall in Acorn. Potluck at 6 p.m., meeting follows.

Come play Bingo, Saturdays and Mondays, starts at 6 p.m., doors open at 4 p.m.

Reynolds Gardner Community Men’s Breakfast every Tuesday, First United Methodist Church, Mena, 8 a.m. (full breakfast for small donation). All men from the community are invited to attend.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 7 p.m. Fridays at the First United Methodist Church, Ninth Street and Port Arthur. Discussion/Book Study for information call (479) 243-0297.

Bluegrass Jam Session is open to musicians and fans alike. Bring your instruments for an unplugged session to the Daisy Room (behind Janssen’s Avenue Florist & Gifts) the first and third Thursdays of each month, starting at 6:30 p.m. Free event. Some snacks are provided.

It’s easy to have your event listed in Around Town, which will be read on radio stations KENA and KQOR daily. Simply send your Around Town announcement to news@ mypulsenews.com or call (479) 243-9600 and let us know about your event! To have it in the Polk County Pulse newspaper, we need to know by FIVE on FRIDAY. We look forward to continuing to serve the community!

Free dental clinic

There will be a free dental clinic Saturday, June 3, that will include cleanings and extractions, with a physician on site.

The clinic will occur at Oden Schools, 135 School Dr., Oden. Registration begins at 8 a.m.

If you have questions, please call Jennifer at 870-450-1855

This event is sponsored by the local Southern Baptist Churches and the Arkansas Baptist State convention.