I live in the “Buckle of the Bible Belt” where we love our manicured lawns.
We water, we weed, we fertilize… then we sit back and admire our work.
We compare our lawn to the other lawns in the neighborhood. We contrast the color of the grass, eyeball the cleanliness of edging and wag our finger at the shameful presence of weeds.
Some go so far as to meticulously mow patterns into the lawn. This takes years of practice and is not for the faint of heart. Only a true craftsman at work here.
We love our lawns.
But we only love our lawns. Not our neighbors.
When my neighbor struggles with a crabgrass issue… I might offer some friendly advice on what kind of fertilizer to use… but I’m not about to help him. Why? Because I’ve got my own lawn to worry about. If I’m not careful, I might end up with unwanted crabgrass too!
So I’ll stand by my lawn and guard it with diligence against the potential crabgrass threat. I’ll pray for my neighbor and his lawn hoping God will send someone along to help him with his crabgrass issue.
If his lawn is overtaken by crabgrass… well, that can’t be my fault. I mean, he didn’t take preventative measures. He didn’t come out in early spring, like I did, and spray pre-emergent. He didn’t mow at the right height at the right time. He didn’t take care of his lawn the way that I took care of mine! How could I be responsible for his mistakes?
Simply because I’m equipped with the tools and knowledge to aid him with his issue, doesn’t make it mine to own… right?
In the “Buckle of the Bible Belt”, we love our lawns just like we love our christianity. Neat, clean, unobtrusive… with pretty patterns to boot.