A 2009 British study found that 96 per cent of people over age 65 knew their neighbour’s names, but only 66 per cent of people under 25 did.

A 2005 StatsCan study that revealed that between 61 per cent of rural residents knew all of their neighbours, but only 16 per cent of those living in major urban centres did.  http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/01/21/the-next-door-neighbour-from-hell/2/

Does that matter anymore?  In the age of social media, high-speed travel and mobility, aren’t we beyond needing physical neighbours?  I know I have remained friends with many of the same people over the last decade, as we’ve each moved an average of 2-3 times in that time.

For many in suburbia, home is a place to sleep and recharge, but little else.

This new series looks at neighbours.  We’ll consider, who are our neighbours in this era?   Do they matter?  Do we need to matter to them?

Question: When have you needed your neighbours?  When have they needed you?

Ryan Sim - October 7, 2013

Monday - A New Idea - Partners To Friends

Won\'t You Be My Neighbour?

Last week, I told you story of my old neighbour who helped build a deck. He nicely represented the transition from strangers to neighbours to acquaintances to partners. Today we’ll go one step further. We’ll talk about becoming friends with those we work with, those we help, and those we live around. When I was a volunteer paramedic, I remember one partner in particular. We did several shifts together, and on calls he was always nervous, and second-guessing himself, which could be challenging to work with. One day, he invited me to supper. I met his family, saw his home and farm, and in the process learned about him and his values. The next shift we had together was different. I found we could communicate better, and I could anticipate his moves. Debriefing the call afterwards was easier. I knew this quirks, where they came from, and could work from a place of partnership and friendship rather than tolerance. This has wider application than the workplace, but some good examples of how important this is follow from a few studies: 50 percent of employees with a best friend at work reported that they feel a strong connection with their company, compared to just 10 percent of employees without a best friend at work. (A 2012 Gallup report which found that) People planning to stick with their current job cited “good relationship with co-workers” as the major reason (67%) – above “job satisfaction” (63%), “flexible working arrangements” (57%) and even salary (which ranked seventh at 46%). A 2013 survey of 2,223 business people across Australia In the same way, being a follower of Jesus isn’t just about doing transactions, like dealing with other followers of Jesus because you have to, or caring for others in need simply because it looks good. We’re actually meant to become friends with those we care for, and those we care with. Not every single one to the same degree maybe, but we are actually meant to have a relationship with those we encounter in this life, and not simply use people or tolerate others. We’ll focus this week on those we care for, those we’ve been talking about all along, and becoming friends. Question: When have you unexpectedly “hit it off” with someone at work?

From Series: "Won't You Be My Neighbour?"

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