Please, Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I am the perfect demographic for the film in theaters now, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. It centers on a journalist (who shares the same name as our pastor, Lloyd) assigned to write a profile of Fred (Mister) Rogers, played by Tom Hanks.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was part of my childhood daily media diet, along with 3-2-1 Contact, a science show which equally fed my left-brain sensibilities. As a musician, I appreciated that Johnny Costa’s arrangements and music direction were not watered down for single-digit-aged viewers. The music was sophisticated and probably my first unconscious introduction to jazz.

So too, Mister Rogers never diluted his conversation or patronized his audience. Even though his speech's rhythm was more largo than andante, I think that’s what captivated most of us: that he spoke to us all as equals. I could certainly learn something from Mister Rogers—but at the same time, I felt that he genuinely wanted to learn something from me, too.

In the film, Fred invites the journalist, “Just take a minute and think about all the people who loved us into being.” And they do. And I did. And it was a beautiful prayer. Prayer doesn’t have to be formal or formulaic—decades later, Mister Rogers is still teaching me something.

Fred Rogers taught the world to acknowledge, feel, and embrace our joyous and painful emotions. But more importantly, to recognize and welcome that same spectrum of emotions in one another without judgment. It sounds like a perfect example of our unfailing God and his great mercy and love.

This film showed me that the ‘neighborhood’ where Mister Rogers abides has no borders, no limits. His neighborhood is humankind. So, this Advent and Christmas, I am inspired and challenged to see everyone I meet as a new neighbor. “Please, won’t you be?”