Love your neighbour:

Lessons from Kosovo

Trying to love your neighbours well during lockdown? Robert* and Rose*, BMS World Mission workers in Kosovo, are convinced it can be done! Here’s their advice for UK Christians.

Robert and Rose have learned a thing or two about loving your neighbours across social divides and physical separation. Called to teach in Kosovo four years ago, their ministry has blossomed into far more than they ever could have imagined. What began with them simply helping out at church has led to them nurturing friendships between different people groups, where historically there has only been animosity. By the grace of God, Robert and Rose are taking small steps to encourage everyone to love their neighbours.

With strict lockdowns across the UK, it can be really hard for us to imagine the part we can play in building up the people around us. We asked Robert and Rose for their advice on how we can love our neighbours – even when we can’t meet in person!

1. There’s power in your words

A group of pre-school children from Kosovo.

Robert and Rose teach a diverse mix of different ages and people groups. They make sure that all their students know that they’re precious and unique, and they were so encouraged by one of the boys from their preschool classes who reciprocated this attitude at home.

He’d been off school ill, and when he came back, it transpired that his father had blamed “the dirty Roma children” as the cause of his illness. Instead of accepting his father’s words, this little boy told him that wasn’t a nice thing to say and that at school, they are all treated equally.

Robert suggests: “There are so many divisions in society at the moment. If you hear your family or friends disparaging other groups of people, be prepared to defend those people.”

2. Go out of your way to meet new people

Sometimes your neighbour isn’t who you expect. Robert and Rose’s whole ministry is built on nurturing friendships between people who have been divided by war. And while you might not have any actual enemies, could you find someone you work with or go to church with that you haven’t spoken to in a while?

Use this in your own life: Is there another church in your neighbourhood that your congregation doesn’t have a lot of contact with? Ask your minister if you can get in touch with them to organise a joint virtual prayer meeting! You could even celebrate the BMS Day of Prayer together on 31 January!

3. Be prepared to give things a go

Step outside of your comfort zone and try something new to love your neighbour, even if you’re afraid it might go wrong!

Rose suggests: “It might be that your neighbour has Covid and you’ve never spoken to them, and you try and take them a dinner and they send you away. That could happen, but if you’re prepared to take that step, you could make a massive difference.”

4. Listen to people’s experiences

It’s incredibly hard to broker peace between people who’ve historically been at war. “Trying to find a way to honour the experiences of both sides is something we’ve had to work out,” says Rose. While we may not be dealing with the extremities of war, we’ve all had different experiences of this pandemic. Many of us have lost loved ones, some of us have lost jobs. There’s no immediate fix but we can listen to and validate each other’s experiences.

Use this in your own life: Be a listening ear. Be compassionate with people sharing the difficulties they’ve faced in lockdown, and make sure you pray for them.

5. Nurture grace in all you do

“Without being shown grace, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we’ve been able to do,” says Rose. It’s not just about showing kindness to your neighbours but being open to receiving grace in your own life. Let yourself be loved by others, and nurture grace in all your relationships.

Use this in your life: Express grace through your words when moods are running low and tempers short. And be open to receive the love and grace of others – see what a difference that can make in your life!

Liking this? Click here!