Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84Photograph by Geri340, Altstadt von Bern, Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Who Is My Neighbor? Dear Reader, Across the world, optimism seems to be in notably short supply. From Jordan to Germany, the influx of millions of refugees is straining goodwill to the breaking point. The fact that the newcomers are largely Muslims – and that some are criminals while a few are terrorists – has prompted scaremongering pronouncements that European civilization itself is at risk. Across the Atlantic, fear of immigrants is also playing a starring role in the US presidential campaign. With months of electioneering still ahead, deep political fissures run through the country – and through many congregations. You’ll be relieved to know that Plough won’t be offering voting advice. Instead, in this issue we hope to awaken and sharpen the conscience in the light of Jesus’ words and example. Our focus here is on the second half of his Great Commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. “Who is my neighbor?” These words from Luke 10 are the retort of a young lawyer trying to evade Jesus’ call to repentance. Jesus responds by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. He teaches: Your neighbor is no longer defined by nationality, ethnicity, or religion. No, your neigh- bor is anyone to whom you can do good. Love of neighbor is not an exalted feeling. It’s tough love – tough on oneself, as it means accept- ing risks and sometimes even suffering. It’s the love shown by Syrian Christians and Muslims in Qaryatain (page 6). It’s the love shown by the thousands of volunteers who welcome refugees despite growing ­ public hostility. And it’s the love that should guide us in an election year: As citizens, how do we live out love of neighbor in relation to immigrants? To the unborn threatened by abortion, and to their mothers? To prisoners, especially those held in solitary con- finement for unconscionable terms and those on death row? To the victims of crime, and to the law enforcement officers charged with keeping the peace? To our youth, who are the ones most gravely harmed by our culture’s gender confusion and its godless redefinition of marriage? On all these fronts and many others, love of neighbor makes claims on us. But there is a place where it truly takes on flesh and blood: in the fellowship of believers, the church. Here love of neighbor can bring about a shared life of mutual care, a reality that Gerhard Lohfink explores on page 38. Here, in fact, our neighbors can become our brothers and sisters. When this happens, we can bear one another’s burdens – for example, those of the soldier returning from war (page 52) or of the addict battling a besetting sin (page 60). Amid today’s horrors, the church community can become an advance outpost of the great reconciliation to come (2 Cor. 5:17). Now as never before, many more such outposts are needed. Warm greetings, Peter Mommsen Editor