How do you feel
when a stranger shows up at your doorstep? Our culture implicitly trains us to
put up our guard and maybe even to raise suspicions, doesn’t it? Let’s reverse
the situation now… How do you feel when you show up in a foreign community or
even a stranger’s house? Don’t we tend to worry about infringing on this
community or family’s lives, and if they will accept us or not? Being a
stranger in a foreign land is our daily reality this year on the World Race, so
these are questions I ask from something that is central to our experience.
Through this
daily experience, I’ve been wonderfully reminded of some of my favorite
teachings in the Bible. One of the primary functions of the church, and of
believers individually, is to welcome foreigners into their community as if
they were their own. The Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) speaks often about
this foundational attitude and stance of God’s people. Leviticus 19:33-34 depicts
this teaching of the Lord succinctly; “When an alien lives
with you in your land, do not mistreat him. 34 The alien living with
you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you
were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” This teaching is echoed by Jesus
in perhaps His most famous lesson where He explains what the greatest commandments
are, Matthew 22:36-40. To our indescribable joy, my team has been welcomed into
a family and church in just this way here in Capetown.
We
have been going to Amazing Grace Ministries Church this month, and I can honestly
say ive never encountered a branch of the Body of Christ that has made me feel
loved and appreciated as a stranger to the degree that these people have. We’ve
been to 4 of their services now, and the Pastor has invited us to come up and
share something every time, after telling the church about us and our contacts’
ministry and how glad they are to have us with them at the beginning of each
service. We’ve shared stories about the World Race, talked about our lives, and
have both prayed for and been prayed over by the congregation. The smiles,
laughs, and “Amen’s” in response to us are as genuine as you could find. The
Pastor talks about us in his sermons, using as missionary models of faith and
just making jokes about us like we are long-time members of his family, and he
invited us to meet with him in his office to get to know us better. Every service
he reminds his people that investing in missionaries is a tremendously
beneficial act for the kingdom. Many of them answered this call by getting to
know us after the service, and even more did so in a way we wouldn’t find out
until later… Beyond all that, the sentiment and aura while we are in the church
is undeniably that of being “home” and part of their church family.
To
top it all off though, at our meeting with the pastor, he invited us to a day
of touring the sites of Capetown with him! So, this Tuesday, he took all of us
to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, the southern most point of Africa, a
place that leaves you speechless. After that, he treated us to lunch at a
waterfront fishery, which was delicious (and to all who know me well enough,
yes I did eat fish and I actually enjoyed it!). The grand finale, however, was
going on boat cruise to Seal Island, a wild set of rocks just a short trip from
the famous Hout Bay and Chapman’s peak. There were probably 2-3000 seals, many
swimming and playing and waving at us as we came right up to their living
grounds. It was a site I’ll never forget, an opportunity for which I cant
express enough thanks. And did I mention the weather couldn’t have been perfect
too? As if all that wasn’t enough, we got some ice cream and “cool drink”
(that’s what they call soda) before we headed home. The depth of this kind act
can only be fully understood when you realize the pastor paid for EVERYTHING
with money that the church members had donated collectively for us to have this
amazing outing. Not only did they give so generously, but they gave with
loving, invested hearts, as they were sincerely overjoyed to hear about our
experiences the next day in service. I’ve never seen a church treat strangers
with such devoted love and generosity… and then after all that, one the members
offered to give us a ride home and bought us some “cool drink” on the way.
I’m going
to seriously miss this church and these people. They beat with the love of
Christ and they live as the true, open-armed community of God. I hope to carry
this way of life and community with me back to my life at home, and I pray that
all of our churches will strive to embody this selfless attitude of acceptance
and welcome, a gift that never fails to invoke the powerful work of the Spirit
and divulge God’s love to its recipients. Give to others, and God will give
back through the many citizens of His/Her kingdom in this world. This needs to
be a fundamental principle of our lives. Believe in it and you will never live
the same.
