Love of Stranger
I am indebted to the Reverend Elizabeth Blunt of Trinity Church Wall Street for her reminder that the Greek term hospitality is a combination of two concepts: Philae meaning brotherly love and Xenos meaning stranger or immigrant. Thus xenophobia is the fear of strangers/immigrants.
I seem to recall many wise people over the years reminding me that a stranger is merely that brother, sister, lover, colleague, son, daughter whom I have yet to meet and get to know. The term immigrant also does not tell me much except he or she too is that person who potentially will be the source of many blessings in my life. I can well imagine a fearful person reading this and suggesting that the stranger or the immigrant might also be that person who brings harm to one. Yet statistically, we know that we family violence in the United States accounts for minimum of 10% of all violent crimes. (US Department of Justice). We also know that a large percentage of incidences of sexual violence is by a family member. Additionally it is common knowledge that all family members, including myself and the reader, are vulnerable to mental illness and other brain diseases which could result in not being able to make rational decisions not to hurt a family member or another person. The argument that strangers and immigrants are more likely to cause one harm cannot be scientifically prover. It is true, of course, that in a combat situation, prison or a in a place where individual are in a drug induced states the potential of violence is high. In general, immigrants to the United States are less likely to commit any type of crime. (factcheck.org)
Common sense tells us that the label of stranger applies equally to us as it does to that person who we might label a stranger. Common sense also tells one that social constructs such as race or other labels such as gender, nationality, religion or ableness does not tell us anything important about another person. Certainly, title or social status does not tell us who would come to comfort us in the middle of the night or come to help us following a trauma such as the recent devastating hurricane in the Bahamas. We never know who will extend a helping hand following a flat tire, a lost or stolen wallet or the sudden death of a child following a drug overdose.
Jesus and other wise people remind us that the first shall be last and the last shall be first; that every time we reject the opportunity to welcome the stranger to the table that we run the risk of rejecting that person who will truly be able to be that brother, sister, mother, father that we all need. Of course we also run the risk of not being our brother’s (or sister’s) keeper – that which gives a sense of purpose and connection.
I recall when my wife, son and I arrived in Hoonah, Alaska far from any relatives. David and Minnie welcome us and said “We will be the grandparents to your son”. David said to me. “I will teach you to be a man.” David knew that at age 32 I could know nothing about being a man.
We were the stranger just as they were the strangers. Yes, we opened our hearts and minds and were richly rewarded. I am confident that this has been my experience at least 95% of the time. Welcoming the stranger/immigrant is not only the right thing to do. It is the selfish thing to do.
Written September 9, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Love of Stranger
I am indebted to the Reverend Elizabeth Blunt of Trinity Church Wall Street for her reminder that the Greek term hospitality is a combination of two concepts: Philae meaning brotherly love and Xenos meaning stranger or immigrant. Thus xenophobia is the fear of strangers/immigrants.
I seem to recall many wise people over the years reminding me that a stranger is merely that brother, sister, lover, colleague, son, daughter whom I have yet to meet and get to know. The term immigrant also does not tell me much except he or she too is that person who potentially will be the source of many blessings in my life. I can well imagine a fearful person reading this and suggesting that the stranger or the immigrant might also be that person who brings harm to one. Yet statistically, we know that we family violence in the United States accounts for minimum of 10% of all violent crimes. (US Department of Justice). We also know that a large percentage of incidences of sexual violence is by a family member. Additionally it is common knowledge that all family members, including myself and the reader, are vulnerable to mental illness and other brain diseases which could result in not being able to make rational decisions not to hurt a family member or another person. The argument that strangers and immigrants are more likely to cause one harm cannot be scientifically prover. It is true, of course, that in a combat situation, prison or a in a place where individual are in a drug induced states the potential of violence is high. In general, immigrants to the United States are less likely to commit any type of crime. (factcheck.org)
Common sense tells us that the label of stranger applies equally to us as it does to that person who we might label a stranger. Common sense also tells one that social constructs such as race or other labels such as gender, nationality, religion or ableness does not tell us anything important about another person. Certainly, title or social status does not tell us who would come to comfort us in the middle of the night or come to help us following a trauma such as the recent devastating hurricane in the Bahamas. We never know who will extend a helping hand following a flat tire, a lost or stolen wallet or the sudden death of a child following a drug overdose.
Jesus and other wise people remind us that the first shall be last and the last shall be first; that every time we reject the opportunity to welcome the stranger to the table that we run the risk of rejecting that person who will truly be able to be that brother, sister, mother, father that we all need. Of course we also run the risk of not being our brother’s (or sister’s) keeper – that which gives a sense of purpose and connection.
I recall when my wife, son and I arrived in Hoonah, Alaska far from any relatives. David and Minnie welcome us and said “We will be the grandparents to your son”. David said to me. “I will teach you to be a man.” David knew that at age 32 I could know nothing about being a man.
We were the stranger just as they were the strangers. Yes, we opened our hearts and minds and were richly rewarded. I am confident that this has been my experience at least 95% of the time. Welcoming the stranger/immigrant is not only the right thing to do. It is the selfish thing to do.
Written September 9, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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