New Neighbors

Ask about someone’s neighborhood, and they may offer the formal name assigned by the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods — Richland Park, Lockeland Springs, or Bordeaux Neighbors. Others view their neighborhood as a collection of homes within walking distance with people who feed their cats when they are on vacation. Neighborhoods are often distinguished by large, dividing boulevards, important landmarks, and socio-economic differences.

Neighbors and neighborhoods are harder to define in spiritual terms.

Most of us have heard the story of the Good Samaritan. In it, a man is robbed and left on the roadside to die, and it is a Samaritan (a foreigner of low stature and means) who cares for the victim after others had passed by on the other side of the road. This parable was told in response to a simple question, “Who is my neighbor?” The answer? The neighbor is one “who showed mercy.”

The growth of the city’s immigrant and refugee community has given Nashvillians many new neighbors. These families are often struggling on the side of the road due to language barriers, poverty, and basic services that remain out of reach. Fear of embarrassment, judgment, and even violence keep them in the shadows.

To be good neighbors, we are called to show mercy. Acts of mercy are often simple; the goal is to make our new neighbors feel welcome. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Learn your family’s immigration story. Most of us in the United States were immigrants at one time. Learn about your family’s journey, struggle, and integration into their new culture.

• Learn a few words in someone else’s language. And be patient as others work to learn English. Or, volunteer in a program that teaches English as a second language.

• Ask someone about their culture. You will be amazed at the common threads that bind us together: family, faith, education, safety, the desire for meaningful work to support our children, and the need to contribute to a greater good.

• Food has always been a Southern gesture of welcome and hospitality. Greet your new neighbors by inviting them into your home and sharing a meal around your table. Or take the classic covered dish over to their houses when they move in. Be sure that the food bank in your area has friendly systems offering eligibility options so that all families can receive the food they need.

• Become active in groups that welcome immigrants and refugees into the community. Learn about Welcoming Tennessee or the Davidson Group, which offers cross-cultural, one-on-one matches for community leaders.

• Work to change immigration policies that separate families and force honest, hard-working people to break out-of-date laws.

Neighbors are not just the people who live in nearby homes. Brothers and sisters in need whom we pass on the road, immigrants, and refugees are our neighbors. May Nashville be a welcoming community and extend hospitality to all of our new neighbors.