“One cannot love what one does not know.”
- Fyodor Doystoyevsky
To love God, we must know God. We encounter God in many ways: prayer, study, worship. Seeking the image of God in neighbor and nature, though, helps us to see a more complete picture.
Proximity to Neighbor.
Romans 15:2 - “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”
Jesus calls upon us to love our neighbor and not from afar. He tells the parable of the Good Samaritan to clarify that love of neighbor requires self-sacrificing action. Paul also writes that our love of neighbor must include action through encouragement. We must have proximity to know our neighbors’ needs and how to respond.
Proximity to Stranger.
Matthew 25:35 - “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”
Neighbor often implies someone in our usual sphere of influence, whereas a stranger is someone that breaks into our normal patterns of life from another place. Throughout the Bible, one can find calls to treat the stranger like the native. In doing so, we have not only served the stranger, but Jesus himself.
Proximity to Creation.
Job 12:7-10 - "Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."
God tells Job to observe the created world around him to better understand God’s loving care. In Genesis, God requires us to help be stewards of all creation.
All are Made in the Image of God.
Genesis 1:27 - “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
All people are reflections of the imago Dei, the image of God. Thus, to know God more fully, we must know people, especially those unlike ourselves, better. Every age, race, class, gender, and nationality can help us see a more complete picture of God.
God is Love.
1 John 4:16 - “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.”
Love is the bond that draws us nearer to God and each other. This type of love requires proximity and sacrifice. We do not admire from afar, but rather, seek to abide in God. Abiding requires closeness, connection, and confidence in God’s provision.
Proximity to Love.
1 John 4:11-12 - “Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
When we truly abide in God’s love, we will also find our love growing for all of God’s creation. Our proximity to Jesus, love incarnate, will bring us in proximity to others that need love.
Sarah Blackwell
Content Creator
Born in South Carolina and raised in Missouri, Sarah returned south for college and graduated from Furman University with degrees in Mathematics and History. After over a decade of teaching and coaching middle and high school students, she spent several years at home with her young children. During this time, she discerned a call to ministry and entered Gardner-Webb School of Divinity. She graduated with a Masters of Divinity in December of 2020 with a concentration in Christian education. Areas of ministry in which she is passionate about include spiritual formation for all ages, with special focus on young adults, as well as outreach to marginalized groups such as refugees. She lives in Matthews, NC with her husband and two sons. Her family is active in the ministry of Providence Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. For fun, you can find her outdoors hiking, biking, running, kayaking, or playing tennis. She also loves watching sports, reading in her hammock, and musical theater.
Natalie Lodato
Featured Artist
A native Charlottean, Natalie has always loved, and gotten in trouble for, drawing in class. She graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in Analytical Finance and how to pursue a career that is not your calling. After years of working as an Analyst at Bank of America, she stayed home with her children, redefining her purpose. Natalie is a self taught artist and enjoys hand-lettering and painting watercolor illustrations. Her mission is to create and encourage others through mediums of word and art. She loves to share and evoke the meaning behind our beautiful natural world, conjuring the spirit behind the everyday mundane. Her favorite subjects are animal and plant life and she loves to research what she paints. Natalie lives in Matthews, NC with her family and is active in Providence Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. If you ever need her - she is probably out wandering the woods, finding oddities of nature, chasing sunsets, and generally looking upward. She finds daily solace in yoga, music, meditation, art, and walking her dog barefoot. Follow her journey on Instagram @stitchesandpurlshandmade