The Mayor of East 42nd Street
November 2025
Several years ago I was staying in New York City with friends who lived on a small quiet street between two major roads. The street was full of tall brownstone houses connected together. On walking outside, I noticed a gentleman a few doors down with a big smile and a broom in his hand. He said, "Hello, my name is Don" and we started chatting. He had noticed which brownstone house I had come out of and he knew the family. As we talked, I realized he was aware of the entire neighbourhood: the people, the comings and goings, who was moving in or out, and who was on vacation.
When other neighbours walked by, they greeted Don warmly and some stopped to chat. I asked Don how he knew everybody and everything about this city block. A man who had just joined us chimed in, "Don is the Mayor of East 42nd Street!" and they all laughed.
Later, I understood the laughter. I discovered that most of the people who live on this block of 42nd Street contribute to Don's salary. His job is to be on the street, do the odd bit of work and keep an eye on what is going on. This keeps the neighbourhood safer. He reports any unique activities, such as a moving van in front of a home where the owners are on holiday or notices who has not left their home for a few days and might need to be checked on. In a sense, Don serves as the private concierge for one block of Manhattan.
Yet the need for his role is also an indication of the isolation and lack of community in the midst of a NYC of 8 million people or the 3 million in greater Vancouver. Jesus, who understands our nature and our needs, asks us to "love our neighbour.” His words are intended not just for our neighbour’s sake but for our own.
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. The second great commandment Jesus said was to love your neighbour as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39
He simply asks us to love our neighbour. We are no different than New Yorkers. Most of us don't know who we live beside or how they are doing. It would be far easier to hire a local "mayor" to do the basic "love in action" on our behalf.
It seems that wherever we live we have two assignments: To love God and to love our neighbour. We can't hire someone to love God for us. And while we could hire someone to keep an eye on the street and look out for our neighbours, that doesn't remove our responsibility for caring for those who live among us.
I believe that Jesus purposefully used the word neighbour to call us to care. When we start to see others as “neighbours” rather than people to be avoided, it will not matter at all who they are or where they live. In the end, we are all neighbours."
Blessings,
Tom