Neighborhood Map
“We have come to believe, as followers of Jesus, one of the worthiest endeavors we can undertake is to take the Great Commandment seriously and learn to be in relationship with our literal neighbors.”
Practice Neighborhood Maps
Make a tic-tac-toe board (Put your house in the center box.)
Make 3 lines inside each of the 8 boxes around your home.
Write names on line 1, background info on line 2, meaningful information on line 3.
Keep your Neighborhood Map visible. (Write down new names and background info as you learn it.)
Summer is a season of consistent unplanned interactions with neighbors. It is an ideal season to practice creating a neighborhood map to learn the names, history, and hopes of your neighbors.
Dave Runyon and Jay Pathak wrote the winsome book on loving your neighbor called, “The Art of Neighboring.” In it is a simple, but profound, practice to begin knowing your neighbors. It is creating a Neighborhood Map in the shape of a tic-tac-toe board. It is a 3x3 grid with your name in the middlebox. The other 8 boxes are the 8 houses or apartments nearest you. It’s not an exact representation of your neighborhood. No one lives on a tic-tac-toe board.
Draw three lines inside each of the 8 boxes. Write the names of neighbors who live in the houses near you on the first line. It may be first names only. On the second line, write down what you know about your neighbors that you wouldn’t know from just seeing them from your driveway. What do you know about their background and history? On the third line write down meaningful information. What do they want to do? What do they hope for? Questions to explore could be, “Why do you live here?” or “What are your hopes for this neighborhood?”
After years of leading the tic-tac-toe exercise with congregations and communities, Dave and Jay observed the following: around 10% can fill out the first line of the names of all 8 neighbors, 3% can fill out the second line for all 8 neighbors, and less than 1% can complete the third line for 8 neighbors near them.
The practice of a Neighborhood Map has layers of depth. It is a practice that requires intentional conversations with your neighbors. Maybe you start a Neighborhood Map this summer by completing the first or second line of the neighbors near you. The third line takes more time and requires interactions of transparency and vulnerability. A Neighborhood Map is a practice in listening, learning, and cultivating a love of your neighbors.
