Stranger

I was reading Matthew 25 and verse 35 where Jesus says, I was a stranger and you invited me in. Feeling like an outcast is an awful feeling. From the outside looking in on people that are loving one another, sharing conversation, and laughing is a lonely feeling. I was at a church in Nashville, Tennessee last February where I was a stranger....in a place where I don't think I should've felt like one. I got to this church 20 minutes early and I sat there alone hoping someone would say hello, welcome, how are you, or come sit with us.....Maybe I shouldn't have expected it, but it is a good example of feeling like a stranger. A stanger is someone who does not belong in the environment they are in. So to not neglect showing hospitality to strangers would be to invite them in to what we are doing. As a disciple of Christ I am thinking that I should be on the lookout for people who are on the outside looking in. I saw a man eating alone about a month ago when I was out with some friends. I looked at him and thought of asking him to join us, but I decided not to because I just figured that he was content eating alone. That was such an opportunity to invite someone into fellowship and show him the love of Christ. Even if he didn't want to it would have made an impact on his life. I think we have all felt like an outcast at some point in our life...possibly in a position where we were hoping to be asked to join a group of people or an activity we wanted to participate in. The Kingdom is inclusive, all are welcome to join the family. I think it's just up to us to be spiritually sharp and self-less in order to see the strangers in our lives.