Upper Room | Devotional

Upper Room | Devotional
11-05-10
No Longer Strangers

Read Ephesians 2:11-22

You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

-Deuteronomy 10:19 (NRSV)
1413
ShareFollow us on
SUNDAY morning worship was over, and I was waiting to enter the aisle that led to the door. A man I had never seen before made his way to the end of another pew, placed a bulky knapsack near the crowded center aisle, then reversed direction and moved away. I felt a surge of alarm. Not every knapsack-bearing stranger is a potential threat, of course, but indiscriminate acts of terrorism have given rise to indiscriminate suspicion as well.


Before I could react, a member of our congregation approached the newcomer, offering his hand in welcome. Genuine pleasure illuminated the man's face and, as the two chatted at length, my anxiety abated.


My neighbor's response not only affirmed for me the reality that Jesus has removed obstacles separating people from God and each other but also demonstrated the healing potential of Christian hospitality as well. Such hospitality blesses all those it touches: those who extend it, those who accept it, and those who, like me, witness it!

William T. Haes (New Jersey, USA)


Loving God, teach us to walk in wisdom, courage, and love. Help us show the hospitality that welcomes others into your presence. Amen.


Christian hospitality can break down walls of fear and suspicion.


Those new to my church