A New Neighbor • by Vivia Day Tatum

NOTE from Vivia: Our church created an advent devotional of “God Moments” members of the congregation had experienced. This piece is a description of a “God Moment” I experienced.

St. Matthew, 22:39 “…thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” KJV

The air was over 105 deg. and the humidity in the 90s when I arrived at my new home in Sumatra, Indonesia. The heat was oppressive and damaging – leather sandals left in a closet for two days would be covered in white, soft mold! I was ten years old and approached my new surroundings with curious optimism. Our home was a 2 bedroom house with cool, stone tile floors and 1 ceiling fan, unsuccessful in its throbbing efforts to cool the room. Shortly after arriving, I explored the nearby streets. To my surprise and disappointment, the children were hostile to me, called me names, and threw stones at me! To them my skin color represented centuries of dominance which had ended only a few years before. I turned and left their jeers behind.

A military run kindergarten was next door to us. Sometimes I watched the little children play outside on the see saws and swings and was envious. It would be nice to have a friend, but I had learned I wasn’t welcome. If only I wasn’t so different… After the children at the school left for home, I stared longingly at a see saw. If there was someone else, we could see saw together. I silently prayed to God and asked for a friend – a girl who was my religion, my color, and my size. To my amazement, a little girl my size emerged from the building and we looked at each other. She had been watching me. She had darker skin than mine. I waited for the taunts, but none came! We tentatively waved, then smiled. I climbed over the low wall, and we headed to the see saw. The welcome breeze of our see saw ride and the joy of laughter has been a memory I’ve never forgotten. My mother and Sumarni’s parents watched from the shade, and I saw them smile at each other. Sumarni spoke Bahasa Indonesia and was a Muslim. I spoke English and was a Christian. We used sign language and pointing and gradually we each learned words from the other’s language. I was welcomed into their one room which had sheets hanging as dividers. Sumarni’s father was the night watchman and they lived at the school. They sold peanuts from a cart in the afternoon and evening. Sumarni and I helped put the peanuts into little wax paper bags we had made. We were very involved in creative play, but more importantly we laughed and so enjoyed being together. The rest of the world was caught up in war and hatred over differences, but Sumarni and I, Muslim and Christian, were neighbors and loved each other.

Sumarni was God’s gift to me. I was lonely and prayed for a friend just like me. God, however, knew better, and answered my prayer beyond imagination. God gave me Sumarni who was not as I pictured at all – she was so much better!

Lord, help us love our neighbor as ourselves, as you have commanded.