Stranger

I came to a realization this week. Not only am I strange, generally, I am strange specifically. I have been acutely aware since about the age of twelve that I was different. No one told me, but I felt it. I became accustomed to the feeling of thinking differently, expecting more from people than what I saw culturally, wanting more than what I experienced religiously. That desire to see more and receive more has led me to some pretty amazing places. Life is so much deeper than most people experience. Just when you think you have it figured out, here comes a new layer to the knowledge you already gained. Maybe “deeper” is a way to apply what you know in a different way or share what you learned with someone else who needs to know what you discovered. That willingness to share is what propels you to the next “unknown”.

The prevalent thought this week has been in the realm of religion and religiosity. I believe in the person of Jesus Christ. I believe he is the Son of God, walked the earth as a human, became the perfect sacrifice to reconcile all of mankind to God the Father through His death on the cross. I believe he rose from the dead after three days in the tomb the way the ancient Scriptures said he would. I believe Jesus of Nazareth to be the promised Messiah to the Jews who would come to claim his people and save them once and for all. Because of these beliefs, I have attempted to model my life after Jesus. Why not? He was born a human to show us all how to do this “earth suit” the godly way, therefore he is the standard of perfection I should strive toward.

But here is my problem: Religion, all forms of religion, teaches that to become perfect we have to rise above others. In that humanness, rising above leads to looking down on people. I have a problem with that. If a person is born a human, he or she is a human. That is one lateral category of person. Culturally, people are classified, ranked, promoted or demoralized based on some other human’s idea of perfection. Those same people who live in their cultural biases are the same people who run the local churches, represent God the Father to the neighborhoods, teach a version of Jesus’ life to fit their narrative. These are good people. They lead their congregations with passion and good intention. We should give them grace. Jesus would give them grace…and forgiveness when needed. The realization I had this week was that I am losing my religion. I have to say, it caused quite a bit of angst in my being. Ripping away that layer of religious separateness left a raw spot on my soul.

The phrase I kept feeling was you are a “stranger in a strange land”. And…like I do, I looked it up in the Bible to see what the Holy Spirit was trying to say to my heart. I began with the definition of stranger (according to the dictionary):

• /ˈstrānjər/
  noun
  1. a person whom one does not know or with whom one is not familiar.
  “don’t talk to strangers”
• 2. a person who does not know, or is not known in, a particular place or community.
  “I’m a stranger in these parts”
  synonyms: newcomer, new arrival, visitor, outsider, newbie
  “they were taught to fear strangers”
• 3. a person entirely unaccustomed to (a feeling, experience, or situation).
  “he is no stranger to controversy”
  synonyms: unaccustomed to, unfamiliar with, unused to, new to, fresh to, inexperienced in;
  archaic strange to
  “I’m afraid I’m a stranger to these automated methods”

From there I looked up Scripture references and there were many. Who knew? See, deeper happens when we get that thought that just will not go away. Deeper happens when we choose to take the next step and see where the path leads even if the path is unknown. Amazing growth happens on the other side of that fear. That is where Jesus hangs out waiting on us to reach out and take his hand. He will lead us through the unknown “strange” place and place our feet on a known, familiar rock. Every biblical example of ‘stranger in a strange land’ had some very well-known lead characters. In Genesis we meet Moses and then Abraham. Both those guys were stretched well outside their comfort zones and accomplished big things for God and for the people entrusted to them. Later we meet Ruth and Esther, two women placed in their culture, in a specific moment in time, to serve God’s purpose in history. There are many others, you really should look them up.

In the New Testament Jesus teaches from a firsthand perspective how to navigate people with cultural bias, social hierarchy and just plain apathy toward other humans. By example, Jesus attempted to teach people to think and reason what is right. Many times, he used the phrase “you have heard it said” by religious leaders, Pharisees, people in authority, BUT I tell you this…” He did not want people to merely do what they were told, he wanted them to reason things out and come to a fresh perspective on things. The perspective gained was one the person could own as their own belief and not one handed down by their forefathers, organized religion, or government entities. When you come to own your beliefs there is freedom and integrity in the life you are living. Jesus came so that we can be FREE!

Matthew 25:34-36
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
In Jesus’ own words, he welcomes us to a place prepared for us before the foundation of our world. The path to that reward is known and he explains it clearly. If you see someone hungry, feed them. Do not ask how they got there, feed them. If you see someone thirsty, give them something to drink. Do not expect them to get up and get their own water, share yours. If someone is a stranger, invite them in and make them feel comfortable. Do not turn your eyes away because they are not known to you. If someone needs clothing, give to them. If someone is sick, visit them and comfort them. If someone is in prison, meet their needs. These are very basic human needs being met by other humans acting humanely.

If your world does not look like this, you can be the change you want to see. We are all strangers. We do not have to be super humans. We only have to open our eyes and see each other as fellow humans and act accordingly. Strip away a layer today. Start somewhere. Watch the change in the people around you as you begin to love them the way Jesus loved people. They will think you are strange. Sorry. It will not be easy, but it WILL be worth it! Go Deeper!

If you want to talk about it, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s start a discussion with ripples that change the world we live in.

Teresa