Consider where you live – do you like your neighbours, or do you find them difficult? I remember one particular set of neighbours of mine, back when I lived in Scotland, who were, frankly, annoying! They seemed to always be there. When I was cutting the grass, they stood watching. When I dared cut the hedge, they reminded me how much they loved the hedge, and don’t get me started about when the bins should be taken out!
Yet, they were my neighbours. It wasn’t all bad. They were there when we brought our twins home for the first time. They gave us sugar and tea bags when we ran out and, at Christmas, they gave our kids presents. I didn’t particularly like these neighbours (I don’t think they liked me either) but, without them, there would have been no sense of community. I call them my unexpected neighbours! People who you think will be trouble but, in fact, become part of your life.
As a Pastor, I have taught the story of the good Samaritan many times. A story where the ‘expected’ good people did nothing to help a man in need. Instead the ‘unexpected’ Samaritan helped a man who, the world said, should be his enemy. The interesting thing about this story is that it is given in response to the question, “who is my neighbour?”. The answer – everyone, even the ‘unexpected’.
My church, Lincoln Baptist, is situated on Croft Street and serves the Monks Abbey area. In the community there are families, students and older folks. There are also homeless, people struggling with addiction and even those for whom crime is the only way to live.
One day, as I stood outside the church gathering some cleaning materials, three men came towards me. I hadn’t met them before, but they were clearly homeless. We started chatting and soon found ourselves laughing and joking as if we had known each other for years. These guys asked what I was doing, and I explained that I needed to wash the church windows, pick out some weeds and clean the back step. Well, without discussion or argument, the three men picked up the materials and proceeded to do all the jobs I mentioned. When completed, we shook hands and they went on their way. They were my unexpected neighbours!
I have experienced several other unexpected neighbours while serving at Lincoln Baptist – a man, recently out of prison, spent hours cleaning and waxing the church floors. Another man who struggled with addiction, re-plastered an office wall. There was an older lady who bought me a bottle of Irn-Bru each week, because she knew I liked it; the young mum who, in her battle with anxiety, has taught me how to better care for people; the children of Monks Abbey school who sang at full volume on their visit to the church.
You see, community has little to do with who you live next to, but who you define as your neighbour. I wonder what would happen in our society if we treated everyone like the good Samaritan did? Would we find unexpected neighbours? Would we have more of a community? Would life be better? I think society has told us, for years, who we should hate, who doesn’t deserve a second chance and the ten ways to get back at the neighbour you don’t like. Maybe it’s time we began talking about how we start to repair our community, how we build relationships and, most importantly, how the unexpected neighbour becomes our friend.
Ross is a local Pastor of Lincoln Baptist Church, serving the needs of the Monks Abbey community. He is a father of three, husband and an advocate for those in need.
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Can you help us identify the woman in these CCTV images?
We are appealing for help to identify the woman shown in these CCTV images following a theft that occurred on Wednesday 22 June in Grimsby.
A 92-year-old woman was walking through Freshney Place Shopping centre, Grimsby when it is believed that her purse was taken from her shopping trolley.
The woman in these images we believe may be able to assist with our investigations and we would ask anyone who believes they recognise her to please contact us on our non-emergency 101 line quoting log 246 of 23 June.
A retired fire engine that used to operate in Grimsby was used in Ukraine to help combat a missile attack on a shopping centre, which the G7 has described as a ‘war crime’ by Russia.
On Monday, footage emerged of a missile striking a shopping centre in the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky claiming is is evidence of a deliberate attack by Russia.
At least 20 people were killed and around 56 were injured following the incident, with G7 leaders saying the attack is considered a war crime. More than 1,000 people were inside the building when it was hit by the missile.
A familiar looking fire engine can be seen in video footage of the blaze shared across news outlets and social media platforms, in the form of an old Humberside Fire & Rescue vehicle.
Large shopping mall in Kremenchuk with hundreds of civilians inside has been hit by a Russian strike. Russia is a disgrace to humanity and it must face consequences. The response should be more heavy arms for Ukraine, more sanctions on Russia, and more businesses leaving Russia. pic.twitter.com/Uvi6fbyShK
The fire engine used to operate here in North East Lincolnshire, covering Grimsby and Immingham, and it is one of many vehicles sent out by Humberside Fire & Rescue to various countries across Europe in recent years.
Fire Aid recently sent a convoy of around 75 vehicles, equipment and clothing to Ukraine to help provide resources for recovery.
At least 20 people were killed in the incident. | Photo: BBC Look North
Area manager Matthew Sutcliffe told BBC Look North: “We’ve sent a number of fire engines since 2015 over there. These are end of life fire engines for us in Humberside, so we share them across Eastern Europe where we can.
“It’s an absolute tragedy what we saw yesterday. Firefighters there were using one of our old fire engines to protect the property but also save lives.”
"Absolute terrorism" – says @ZelenskyyUa and publishes a video of a deliberate missile strike on the Kremenchuk shopping center with people inside. Russian propaganda always lies: there is no coincidence, it is a deliberate blow to intimidate the population and mass victims. pic.twitter.com/Gx1f90cMta
During a regular nightly address to the nation on Monday, president Zelensky said: “The Russian missile hit this very object, purposefully. Obviously, that was the order. It is obvious that Russian assassins received such coordinates for this missile.
“They wanted to kill as many people as possible in a peaceful city, in a regular shopping mall.”