3 John 5 Dear
friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,
even though they are strangers to you. – John the Aposlte
A friend and I were discussing the topic of strangers the other day. What is a
stranger? What does it mean to be a stranger; how does it feel to be a stranger?
So, what happens to a person who is unknown and shows up
at our house? Nowadays he is possibly treated with ample suspicion. He is
certainly viewed with a measure of caution. Why is he here? What does he want?
What are his motives? Those are probably considerations that go through our
heads.
I once worked as a salesman making cold-calls on people
for the sake of my company. I know what feel like to be a stranger. I know when
it’s hospitable and when there is a high level of mistrust. I know what it’s
like to get thrown off of someone’s property, and what it’s like to be invited
in for lunch.
What’s it like in Church? We have visitors in our church
every week. They come for all kinds of reasons. Is there a way to help make
them comfortable and welcome? It seems Gaius, in 3 John, understood what it
meant to be a stranger; to be an unknown. And John tells us he was faithful in being kind, friendly, welcoming,
and hospitable to the people who showed up at his meetings. Faithfulness is a big
deal.
But so is helping a stranger. Jesus said: “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…” Making a stranger feel welcome is very important. Being
faithful to do so is a big deal.
What does a stranger need? They need a friendly greeting.
The need a friendly face. They need friendly conversation. They may need a
meal. They may need clothes. They need to feel welcomed. They need to feel, at
least, initially accepted. And if they are just passing through, they need to
be sent on their way graciously. I appreciated that when I was a stranger and
people took me in – even though I was just a salesman with motives for being
there…
Gaius is an example to us – he was faithful. His
specialty seemed to be hospitality. We need to emulate Gaius. But that doesn’t
mean we need to be Gaius. We need to be ourselves, but we need to be faithful
to who we are, what we are, and what God has called us to do. Faithfulness is a
prize to be sought.
God wants this old world to be more friendly and kind. A
lot of the things humanity struggles with would go away if there was an more of
friendliness and kindness. Welcoming a stranger is important business in a host
of different ways but it gets its foundation simply in friendliness and
kindness. It’s all about caring for people.
Father, as a person
in the people business may I be a purveyor of friendliness and kindness today.
In my interactions with people, may I exude welcome, care, and eager concern.
Allow me today to make a difference in someone’s life just by smiling, and
being good to them. May the strangers in my life sense a touch from You because
of me – it’s what I am called to… Amen
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