Stranger in a Strange Land

Moses said, "I have been a stranger residing in a strange land."
Exodus 2:22b.

A stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet. -Will Rogers

Most of my life has been relatively safe and sheltered living in Bucks County, PA. The past three years, I spent most of my time as a student at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass.

School is over and reality has returned. I decided that it's time to get an extended taste of urban life and experience God's people in a major city. Accordingly, this month I've traded gentile suburbia for the atty-tood of South Philadelphia.

My new pad is a row house not far from Broad Street, the Boulevard-y north-south road that runs through the heart of the city. The neighborhood is 99% Caucasian, Italian, Roman Catholic, and working class. Kids play on the sidewalk under the supervision of chatty moms and grandmas parked on their front steps. Some folks are friendly; others stick to their cliques and keep to themselves; still others give you the eye that says "you, you're a stranger."

They are correct: I am, indeed, an interloper. The only roots I have in this community are the friendships with my roommate and my roommate's dog. One never knows what the future will bring, but I don't expect to live here long term.

Their reaction reminds me of the stares that I get when I first enter a restaurant. You know the feeling? People look at me blankly for a moment and - I believe - their brains run through a series of questions: do I know this person? Do I find him attractive? Will he interfere with my dining experience, ie will he be loud and obnoxious? Is he dangerous, someone of whom I need to be wary?

Once these questions are answered a split-second later, the onlookers return their attention to their meals and conversations, and I (plus whomever accompanies me) blend into the ambiance.

There's nothing nefarious about this progression. It is a natural, momentary, and unconscious reaction. I do it, too. The point here is not that we should stop "checking out" whomever enters our field of vision. Ignoring folks is mildly rude at best and downright foolish at worst. Rather, the point is about awareness.

Being in a new environment makes me aware of my own reactions to "strangers." I would like to be more intentional about the expression on my face when I look upon someone for the first time. Am I making eye contact? Do I see people as strangers or possible friends? Am I at least hinting a smile or making some expression of welcome?

Am I watching out for the stranger in a strange land? Or for that matter, am I actively seeking to find Christ in all peoples?

I'm excited about the chance to live among strangers - and future friends - in South Philly. It's a long way from the bucolic hills of Central Bucks, but it's not far from God's people.