Welcoming the Stranger
Scripture: Psalm 13 read responsively and Matthew 10:37-42
Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ June 26, 2011
How had it is to wait for an answer to prayer. In our microwave culture, it seems even longer. We can resonate with the Psalmist longing for a quick reply, but real transformation takes time and God is about new life and will never be rushed.
1How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Matthew 10:37-42
Matthew has put in juxtaposition Jesus being first in our lives with our welcoming the stranger.
Jesus has to be first even over those we the love the most. He sets the priorities in our lives so we can make the hard choices to be a forgiving and welcoming people.
37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 40“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Sermon
On the cover of the bulletin are two pictures of welcome. Every year hundreds of desperate migrants and asylum-seekers arrive in Malta, a tiny island nation of 400,000 inhabitants, after making the perilous boat trip across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa. They have fled poverty, persecution or war. To help Malta with the overwhelming number in 2009 France accepted 96 people. French Immigration Minister Eric Besson greeted the newcomers who arrived to a red carpet welcome:
"I wish you all the best in France. I wish you peace and happiness in your new life, your future starts here,"
The other image is of a far more different welcome. Tens of thousands of people have fled protests and the resulting crackdowns as the pro-democracy movement sweeps North Africa and the Middle East. Human rights groups have urged authorities to process the refugees fairly, but tensions have surfaced… boats are being turned away from many European ports. The picture is of a boat being turned away from Sicily but it had first been turned away from Malta.
What would cause this drastic a change in just two years? Part is the numbers have risen greatly in their area. In fact according to the United Nations, that defines a refugee is a person who flees their home country due to a "well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership… There are an estimated 11-12 million refugees in the world today. This number does not include the millions of refugees who must leave their home and country because of environmental change such as floods and earthquakes.
So numbers can be the reason for turning people away and not welcoming the stranger, but the excuse for this particular rejection of refugees that was given by the authorities was they could not know if there were terrorists aboard. So fear can also be a reason we do not welcome the stranger.
In the helping ministries there is another reason we do not welcome the stranger, it is called “compassion fatigue.” I believe even whole communities and nations can experience compassion fatigue. Caring too much can hurt. When caregivers focus on others without practicing self-care, destructive behaviors can surface. Apathy, isolation, bottled up emotions and substance abuse head a long list of symptoms associated with the secondary traumatic stress disorder now labeled: Compassion Fatigue. This past week at our clergy breakfast, Gary Scroggins reported on his journey to Joplin, Missouri. He said, Pastors Dave Burgess, of First Presbyterian and Rodney Peters of Bethany were glad for the pastoral care for their parishioners as well as themselves. Rev. Burgess has had “tag team” of associates coming to help visit people in their new locations, praying with them and just listen to their stories. Something as simple as their church directory is way out of date with over twenty members are displaced. As you can imagine the whole community is weary, but they are not giving up.
How can we continue to welcome the stranger, when we are bone weary with compassion fatigue?
The good news is there is a source of strength that never fails. That source is given to us by setting our sites on Jesus Christ. Put Jesus first and you will know when to welcome the stranger in spite of numbers, fear and fatigue. Resources of energy and help that you could never imagine will come. When we put Jesus first in our lives, even before those we love, our priorities are clear. Putting Jesus first means we come to rely on his strength when we are weary, afraid or overwhelmed. I don’t have all the answers to meet the needs of all strangers, but Jesus does. Where do I get those answer and resources? – The church! The church is one place were Jesus comes first all the time -- well at least we try to put Jesus first all the time. I am more amazed at what the body of Jesus does accomplish rather than become discouraged by our failures. Gary said he was invited to a planning meeting for all the various helping agencies in Joplin. There were Mormons in their yellow t-shirts, the green (teal) of the UCC, and the blue of Presbyterians plus Red Cross and Salvation Army. The church is helping still in New Orleans. Sullivan Church went on a mission trip this week to Calvin Center New Global Village a church camp in Georgia. First Presbyterian of Pampa, TX is on its way to Joplin.
Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” So when we welcome the stranger in the name of Jesus we are welcoming God. Amen.
Resources
See: www.unhcr.org/4a574d906.html UN Refugee Agency news release from July 10, 2009
No welcome for refugees as Italy turns boat away By Michael Day in Milan Wednesday, March 16, 2011
http://geography.about.com/od/globalproblemsandissues/a/refugees.htm
http://www.compassionfatigue.org/
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