Once Again With the Love Your Neighbor

...love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18

Played golf yesterday for the third time since the summer travels. One of our Thursday group won the day's event. It was as much fun to have her win, as it would have been if I had won. She said it had been a number of years since she had taken that specific prize. Good going, friend!
As I think about the various threesomes and foursomes that played, it was a very mixed group of people. Religiously, economically, politically, ages, each one different. Some people paired together are so happy to get to play with each other. Some groups have a little tension, maybe a past hurt or slight, former misunderstandings or embarrassment over different skill levels. So how do you bring "love for your neighbor" into one of these groups? How do we bring our peace and calm into the situation?
I have noticed that usually during the round of golf there is a spot of laughter, a little smile, a time when one player sincerely compliments the other on a good shot. Maybe, these are little openings where the path to love your neighbor can start. Maybe it starts with one little step towards sharing a good moment, one little space of time where we can let down our guard and bring a little peace to the situation. Hopefully that one "piece of peace" can grow into a longer space of getting along, into a step towards understanding that we are all God's children.
I hope so. I have faith that that is what we are supposed to do. I will still work on it.