Headline News has been a disheartening read lately, what with war looming on the horizon, parts falling off the Concorde, a vintage space probe losing contact with Earth, and the ISS crew being trimmed down to two. And now, to cap it off, we mourn the passing of a dear neighbor.

Ironically, I first learned about Mr. Rogers while playing Sierra’s Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, way back in 5th Grade, during the part in the bar where you need to switch channels on the TV to distract the pimp, and the “Neighbor” song comes on, to which Larry reacts, “No no, anything but that!” I saw the actual Mr. Rogers show years later, and though I thought myself too old for it, I rather liked that it was so happy and innocent in a world where cynicism had permeated even into kids’ TV.

Though he may be parodied as babyish and syrupy by many, Mr. Rogers was one of those rare TV experiences that could be categorized as universally loveable. I will miss him, but I’m happy to see him going Home.

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”‘

More at Blogs4God, and of course, God’s definitive Word on being a true neighbor.