A Stranger at the Door

We’ve probably all done it. There’s a knock at the door. You’re not expecting anyone, so you sneak a peek between the window curtains or peer through the peephole. And there on your porch stands a stranger. Someone vaguely menacing, perhaps. Unhealthy looking. Shabby, or odd. So you decide not to open the door. You stand very still and silently wait for the stranger to go away. Do we feel guilty about the encounter? Probably not. A stranger is a possible threat. The fact that we might have helped that stranger in some way, or he might have somehow helped us, was simply outweighed by a natural wariness most people would call common sense. But there are other kinds of strangers, knocking at another kind of door. We don’t have to fear them, wondering what they’re up to. They proclaim it before they ever set foot on our soil. They’re seeking asylum, a type of refuge this nation has proudly offered from its inception: A home where people don’t have to live in danger, oppression and want. At first many of these strangers may have to depend on charity. But in the end they bring us much more than they take: Gifts and graces that, given time, can only make us a richer nation. The Guest House project will soon be opening a door of welcome and love to these seekers. We hope you’ll be standing beside us, helping us help them through your prayers and support. In the words of Archbishop Ndungane of South Africa: “Let yourself be inspired, to believe and to act. There is nothing greater a human being can do than to help change another person’s life for the better.”