Love - Deuteronomy 10:19

[Elder-Shawn Denise Briscoe]

Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers

Who and why are you willing to love another person? Is it because they are related to you? Is it because you think you may know them well? Those are just a couple of reasons why we find it easy to love another person. But that is not the reason GOD has given for us to love another person. Every day we come across strangers; we pass them by as we walk from one destination to another; we sit or stand beside them waiting or riding on public transportation; we stand behind or in front of them at checkout stands in the stores. Yet, for most people never a word is said to the stranger. We may complain loud enough in hopes to gain attention and form support in your irritation. And if that happens then all you have in common with the other is that you both are irritated and you both agree with the others frustration. But what would happen if when you are walking and the strangers that you see approaching your direction you smile and greet or compliment them on their attire? What would happen if the strangers you are sitting or standing next to waiting for or riding on public transportation; you begin a small conversation that is positive and light with a smile? And instead of creating a scene while standing in a slow moving line at the store you turn to the person behind or tap the person ahead and tell them a funny joke to break the tension? You would be surprised that most people are receptive to this ice breaker. We have gotten so far away from being gentle with one another and leaning towards being hostile. But being anti-social or hostile is not a loving attitude. Do you know that there are more lives saved on average of people who were just greeted with a warm smile and a friendly hello? None of us ever knows what another person is going through or has gone through. And the thought of ending it all; may just be minutes away until you show a wee bit of love to an individual. I live in a predominately afro-American neighborhood and I watch the lost souls who know each other greet one another with a hug and sometime in conversation you will hear the “I love you man” being expressed. Now more times than not; it’s not meant, because there is no honor among corruption. However, this maybe the only I love you they get because in today’s society in poverty stricken neighborhoods; love is unknown and falsely identified. There is a man who has shown HIS Love unconditionally to all humans; yet many have not heard about HIM or don’t really believe in this Love that HE has for human kind. JESUS took on all the problems that mankind could ever experience on HIMSELF. HE did this so that we would not have to experience what HE had already experience on our behalves. I love every facet of JESUS and one of the facets that I love about HIM is that HE came to me when I was a stranger and showed HIS Love for me. Then HE assured me that my past would never ever be a problem because HE would never ever speak about my past; HE would never ever remind me of my past; HE would never make me feel guilty about my past because HE has washed me totally clean from my past. Now I am no longer a stranger but HIS friend and HIS beloved daughter. If any of you have ever traveled to far off states or other countries you know what it’s like to find a stranger from your native ground. If you live on the West Coast of America and you spend some quality time here on the East Coast of America and you recognize the West Coast accent or chat with another and find out that they are from the same region that you are. You feel better meeting someone from your neck of the woods. If you are on International soil and you meet with other Americans you too feel better meeting up with natives from your country. You may even decide to continue your trip together. You no longer feel like a stranger; in a strange place. There is that air of familiarity and comfort.  So next time you are out and about and you see a stranger, smile and say hello; hope your day is terrific and watch the smile you will have caused on the face of another. And know that you have just loved on a stranger.

 I'm a stranger, will you love me?