How A Simple ‘Hello’ Can Change Everything 

We moved into a home in an area of Asia that looked like a maze. Past the seamstress on the right, and the old cranky dog on the left, behind the barbed-wire gates, and graffiti on the walls, there we were. 

Nothing was far, not the grocery store and not the tiny cafe, so we became very good at walking. Cars wouldn’t dare turn on those little lanes, so every morning, when the monkeys began to howl, we walked up and down those tiny roads. Our tired feet would only return home when the street dogs gathered and the sky went dark.

I left America with my eyes fixed on the Great Commission. My grand hope was to see all 3 billion unreached people worshipping at the throne within a calendar year. I didn’t realize the story would look different than I imagined. My expectations were far from reality. 

I look back now and smile. 

I am living proof that though hearts may plan a way, the Lord is faithful to establish our steps (Proverbs 16:9). It wasn’t the grocery store or the tiny cafe that held God’s miracles for me in Asia, but the people I saw along the way. The sound of dirt beneath my feet, the clink of the gate, and the hidden giggles from windows—that’s where my story began.

When a group of girls said, “Hello!” and waved at me on that winding road, my life was forever changed. That corner of Asia held some of the most precious hearts I’ll know on this side of heaven, and because of their simple greeting, God’s love rushed in. 

That “hello” swung open the door to years of miracles in our tiny neighborhood, and there are no words to describe the beauty that unfolded. Because of my time on that little street, I now believe God’s command to love our neighbors is just the beginning of what he has in store for this world. And I believe the first step to loving our neighbors is saying “hello.”

A CALL TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

“Hello” is a really simple word, but it communicates more than we think. I believe it’s the first opportunity to show who God is to the stranger. It is a greeting that has the ability to bring light, truth, and love to a hurting world.

It reminds me of Christ’s response to a question in Luke 10, when a lawyer asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 

In response, Jesus shares about a man who was beaten, robbed, and left on the side of the road. He continues the story with three more characters: a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. The priest and Levite, who we may have expected would have shown mercy, passed by and did nothing. 

The Samaritan, on the other hand, moved towards the hurting man, sacrificed his own comfort, and cared for him. Jesus instructed all who were listening, “You go, and do likewise.”

A GREETING FOR THE THE WORLD

The hope of “hello!” can be heard around the world. It’s why I wanted to write about the wide varieties of this simple greeting in a way that might inspire others, young and old, to love all their neighbors. 

My newest children’s book, Every Neighbor: Greeting Everyone with God’s Love, takes readers through 12 global neighborhoods. From Bhutan and Tanzania, to Lebanon and China, I want all families to see and experience the beautiful people and places God made. And hear greetings like: “Salam!” “Marhaba!” and “Yedje!” 

“Hello!” says, “I see you,” in a world that’s moving fast and exalting self. And it’s a simple and joyful way to move towards someone with the hope of Christ. Loving your neighbor looks different in every country and culture, but it always, always, always begins with “hello.”