What does "love your neighbour" really mean?

[branflake81]

OK, so I get that you do as you would be done by etc but it's the "love" bit I struggle with. How can I "love" someone I don't know? I don't even love my friends.

i think the point is that you should know your neighbours. enough to be able to help them out should the need arise

Message withdrawn

I don't think it's "love" as such - I think it's more "do as you would be done by" - treating all people with respect and kindness, and not doing anything to anyone else which you wouldn't someone to do to you.

Well 'love your neighbour as yourself' presumes that you will, as a general rule, make sure that you are fed and watered, clothed and safe. So if your neighbour is lacking these things, and it's within your power to help, then you probably should.

And who is your neighbour? Well, Jesus Christ's answer to that question was the parable of the Good Samaritan, where a man was cared for by someone who would traditionally be his enemy. So, basically, if they're human, they're your neighbour.

Its not (asfar as I know) love as a feeling, but love as an action. Love is not really about how you feel, in the end, but about how you choose to behave. So I choose to 'love' the people next door, or down the street, to look out for them and meet needs in them that I see (babysitting, etc) even if I don't feel an overwhelming rush of emotion every time I see them.