'The neighbor' is not only an individual person, but also people collectively, as a less or greater society, our country, the church, the Lord's kingdom, and above all, the Lord Himself. These people are 'the neighbor' to whom good is to be done from love. A society is our neighbor more than a single person, because it consists of many people. Our country is our neighbor more than a society because it is like a parent because a person is born in it, and is nourished and protected from injuries by it. The church is our neighbor more than our country, because one who provides for the church provides for the souls and eternal life of the people who dwell in his country. The Lord's kingdom is our neighbor in an even higher degree, because the Lord's kingdom consists of all in good, as well people on the earth as those in the heavens.

(références: The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 91-95)

91. However, it is not just people as individuals who are one's neighbor but people in the plural. That is, it is any smaller or larger community, our country, the church, the Lord's kingdom, and above all the Lord himself. These are "our neighbor" to whom we should do good out of love.

These are also ascending levels of neighbor. A community of many is a neighbor on a higher level than one individual. On a level still higher is our country, on a level still higher is the church, and on a level still higher is the Lord's kingdom; but on the highest level, our neighbor is the Lord. These ascending levels are like the rungs of a ladder with the Lord at the top.