Welcome The Stranger

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

The first summer we moved to our new house across town, my husband decided he wanted to take down the large privacy fence. One morning as he worked outside, I noticed he had stopped to talk to some of our neighbors who lived across the alleyway from us.

Later that day, he came inside to tell me about his conversation and let me know that he had invited the young men for dinner that week.

“What?” I asked nervously. “They looked young. Are you sure they’d want to hang out with us?”

My husband nodded. “Yes, they’re college students from Saudi Arabia. They said they’d love to come over.”

“Okay,” I answered, still unsure, thinking about our spunky kids and how dinnertime can sometimes be a mess.

A few days later, they showed up, dessert in hand. As we sat around our table, passing dishes of grilled chicken, rice, and salad, they told us about their families back home, explained how they had come to school in the United States, and laughed at the silly antics of our kids. As we said goodbye, we promised to get together again soon.

I couldn’t have known at the time what a gift the next few years would be with these young men—we hosted several game nights, bonfires, dinners, and fish fries. They got to know our friends and their families, watching soccer matches and visiting local restaurants together.

I didn’t understand how much these young men missed their families back home or how being with us reminded them of their own parents and siblings. They became so dear to us and, even now, we remain close.

Sometimes it’s hard to know how to invite people who are different from us, but the Bible tells us that we are to welcome the strangers who sojourn with us, loving them as we do ourselves and our own family. I’m thankful for the richness found in including others who have different backgrounds from ours. We can learn from the experience and grow as people. Don’t miss the goodness of God we can glean from inviting others into our lives and homes.

Kendra

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Invite someone who comes from a different background to coffee or dinner.