October 13, 2020
Sharing from the congregation – Don Parnell
“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you invited me into your home.” - Matthew 25:35 (New Living Translation)
We have all met “strangers”. One can credibly argue that every person we have ever met throughout the entirety of our life were once “strangers”! Some of those persons have become our friends. Some of them may have become “best friends”. Some may be people you have never seen, or heard from, since you first met them. But in every case, those persons were once “strangers”.
Christ tells us in this passage how a Christian is called to treat a stranger. Greeting a stranger is to include a welcoming attitude, and spirit. It is notable that the first act in welcoming a stranger is to open the door. We all continue to find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, when not so many doors are opening, given the concern for our own health, and the health of family and friends. The passage from Matthew is not referencing the physical door at our home, but the spiritual door of our hearts and our minds.
The conditioning for each of us to endure, and to survive, a pandemic includes a reticence to physically engage with others. We are ever mindful of the six foot “social distancing” admonition that was established shortly after the appearance of the Covid19 virus in our country. Our masks are typically in place once we are in the position to encounter others, including inside our church, and even in outdoor situations. Our inability, due to masking, to fully see the face of our friends, and the smiles we would otherwise experience (and share in return!) are hidden from our view, as our own smiles are hidden from view. The fact of masking must not discourage us from having that smile in our eyes, and in our voice, as we greet one another.
The scene that Jesus describes in the passage from Matthew is a continuing reminder to us – every day – to be prepared to meet a stranger, and to be prepared to feed them, give them drink, and invite them into our home.
Thanks be to God.
Don Parnell