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| Stranger to Someone |
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2
Who is a Stranger?
A stranger is a
person not yet known. A strange person
is a person not yet well known, appreciated or understood. Life is exciting
when making new friends and building new relationships. Strangers are friends we have not yet met.
As small children, all beyond our family
are strangers. Our parents tell us never
to speak to strangers. Our worlds are
small. We can see beyond them but we do
not have the freedom to move beyond them.
School becomes a first opportunity to
meet others. We learn that not everybody
is the same. Others do not wear the same
clothes or eat the same food. The new
ones are both exciting and scary.
How to Meet and Love a Stranger
Strangers are friends yet
undiscovered. Meet them on purpose. They await discovery. When we move towards them to meet them, the better
mystery of friendship begins.
All relationships have risks. It is human reality. Not all relationships work but we do not stop
believing in their possibilities.
Show love to a stranger by expressing authentic
and genuine interest in them and the things important to them. Demonstrate regard for their point of view
and help them to feel safe getting to know you.
How Not to Exploit Strangers
Do not pretend to be the friend with
the stranger to get from them something you want. Do not use them for sex, money, or
power. Some exploit others to get something
wanted when authentic friendship is not the goal.
When you meet the stranger for
friendship or other transaction, make clear what your interests are so the stranger
can make an informed decision. The
stranger has wants, too.
Where your shared interests hold the potential
to serve each other, mutually give to each other for the sake of each other’s
fulfillment. This is the prize of friendship’s
unfolding mystery.
Go meet some strangers. Make some friends and build some new
relationships.
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