"I am My Neighbor's Bible"

anonymous
from Virtuous Daughters, August 2001~Volume 1, Number 5

I am my neighbor’s Bible;
He reads me when we meet;
Today he reads me in my home-
Tomorrow, in the street.
He may a relative or friend be;
Or slight acquaintance be;
He may not even know my name,
Yet he is reading me.
 
And pray, who is this neighbor,
Who reads me day by day,
To learn if I am living right,
And walking as I pray?
Oh, he is with me always,
To criticize or blame;
So worldly wise in his own eyes,
And “sinner” is his name.
 
Dear Christian friends and sisters,
If we could only know
How faithfully the world records
Just what we say and do;
Oh, we would write our record plain,
And come in time to see
Our worldly neighbor won to Christ
While reading you and me.