Have you ever felt like a stranger in a strange land? I am sure if you have been on a mission trip to a foreign land you might have experienced that type of feeling. Sometimes when I watch the national news I imagine myself living in some of the foreign countries they are reporting about. It would be quite different than living at home. Do you think a person that is unchurched and visits a church would feel like a stranger in a strange land? What do you think makes a person feel like a stranger in a strange land?
There are many reasons why we could feel like we are strangers in a strange land. We could be unfamiliar with the customs and living conditions of the new surroundings. There might be language barriers that prevent us from communicating. Maybe the dress code in this strange land is quite foreign to us. The laws and moral codes could be different than what we are accustomed to. The practicing religions could cause us to be very uncomfortable.
Why do you think the scriptures ask us no fewer than 36 times to love the stranger. Ex. 23:9 states, "You shall not oppress the stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt." You were strangers once, and were mistreated, therefore do not do to others what had been done to your forefathers. In Deut. 10: 17-19 the Bible says, "For the Lord your God is God supreme and Lord supreme, the great and mighty, and the awesome God who.... befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing. You must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."
Why do you think God commands us to “love the stranger”? I believe feeling like a stranger is probably one of the most uncomfortable emotions a person wants to or has to endure. Just think about a time you personally felt like a stranger. Did you feel unaccepted? Did you feel uncomfortable? Did you feel threatened? Did you feel a little sick to your stomach? Did you feel unloved? I couldn't imagine any of us enjoying being a stranger if some of the above were symptoms of this label.
I know that people who attend church for the first time do feel like strangers in a strange land! All you have to do is ask them what they feel like; it will be eye opening and give you a better understanding about what it takes to be a missionary in the culture you live in. Take God’s word to heart and just love them. What does love look like in practical terms to that stranger in your church? And how does that love in your church make that stranger feel. If it’s God’s love they won’t feel like strangers in a strange land, but members of a family who feel right at home.
