--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we are to love our neighbors, before…" description: "\"If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like ar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/786/frederick-buechner-883_art_if-we-are-to-love-our-neighbors-before-d_3108047.png" --- # If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything… ![“If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in.” quote by Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/786/frederick-buechner-883_art_if-we-are-to-love-our-neighbors-before-d_3108047.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/786/frederick-buechner-883_art_if-we-are-to-love-our-neighbors-before-d_3108047.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/786/frederick-buechner-883_art_if-we-are-to-love-our-neighbors-before-d_3108047.png) > “If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in.” [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To truly love neighbors, we must perceive them beyond appearances, using imagination to understand their inner lives, framing them with love. **In simple terms:** Seeing beyond faces to the inner life of others. Key Takeaway Practice empathetic imagination. Themes empathy love perception Mood compassionate thoughtful Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - counseling - community building - creative writing - conflict resolution Key Concepts human connection psychology artistic insight Questions to Reflect On - How can you verify your perceptions? - What role does love play in understanding others? A Different Perspective Imagination alone may not capture reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor/) [Neighbors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbors/) ## Related quotes > [People aren't looking at how they're doing, but rather at how their neighbors are doing and at their own place in society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-rogoff/people-aren-t-looking-at-how-they-re-doing-but-rather-at-how-their/) [Kenneth Rogoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-rogoff/) > [The soul, as soon as she comes to know Me, reaches out to love her neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/the-soul-as-soon-as-she-comes-to-know-me-reaches-out-to-love-her/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Love God, love your neighbors, and do stuff!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/love-god-love-your-neighbors-and-do-stuff/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [We can't love our neighbors till we know how crooked their hearts are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/we-can-t-love-our-neighbors-till-we-know-how-crooked-their-hearts-are/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“In some countries you love your neighbors, and in others you eat them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/in-some-countries-you-love-your-neighbors-and-in-others-you-eat-them/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Christians are to love their neighbors as we love ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-johnson/christians-are-to-love-their-neighbors-as-we-love-ourselves/) [Monica Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-johnson/) > [Why just love your neighbors? love their neighbors too..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/why-just-love-your-neighbors-love-their-neighbors-too/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-bible-tells-us-to-love-our-neighbors-and-also-to-love-our-enemies-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We love our neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/we-love-our-neighbors/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-bible-tells-us-to-love-our-neighbors-and-also-to-love-our-enemies/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [To do any less than to make Him known is to fail to really love our neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-leigh-demoss/to-do-any-less-than-to-make-him-known-is-to-fail-to-really-love-our/) [Nancy Leigh DeMoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-leigh-demoss/) > [We should learn to live and love our neighbors as ourselves for the sake of peace and progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccallum/we-should-learn-to-live-and-love-our-neighbors-as-ourselves-for-the/) [David McCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccallum/) > [The injunction that we should love our neighbors as ourselves means to us equally that we should love ourselves as we love our neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-deming/the-injunction-that-we-should-love-our-neighbors-as-ourselves-means/) [Barbara Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-deming/) > [I used to love my neighbors, then one day they put a fucking password on their WIFI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avalon/i-used-to-love-my-neighbors-then-one-day-they-put-a-fucking-password/) [Avalon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avalon/) > [“In some countries you love your neighbors, and in others you eat them" Can Man Live Without God?)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravia-zacharias/in-some-countries-you-love-your-neighbors-and-in-others-you-eat-them-2/) Ravia Zacharias ## More by Frederick Buechner > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [It is impossible to conceive how different things would have turned out if that birth had not happened whenever, wherever, however it didfor millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/it-is-impossible-to-conceive-how-different-things-would-have-turned/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [At least to look back over their own lives, as I have looked back over mine, for certain themes and patterns and signals that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/at-least-to-look-back-over-their-own-lives-as-i-have-looked-back-over/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Snobs are people who look down on other people, but that does not justify our looking down on them. 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Or she'd cover her mirth with her hands and shake till you'd think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/how-adewen-stuffed-her-braid-in-her-mouth-at-that-or-she-d-cover-her/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/resurrection-means-that-the-worst-thing-is-never-the-last-thing/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) [Explore all 339 Frederick Buechner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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