What would you do if you were trapped in a hole with someone you stanchly disagreed with?
A person with many viewpoints, opposite of your own? Would you spend your time in the enclosed space, arguing and fighting over your differences? Or would you be able to find common ground and work together to dig your way out?
So many people feel our world is divided in so many ways. Viewpoints, lifestyles, politics, values, beliefs, and the list goes on. Sides have been chosen and lines have been drawn. One side blames the other for a state of affairs which is described in much doom and gloom. Stories are told, rumors are spread, and people are demonized.
Instead of listening to each other, we only listen to what we want to hear. Some of the things we hear are without facts, and truth does seem to fall casualty to other agendas. Fear is spread as if the end of times is coming fast and hard. What’s more, is the belief that Armageddon is something that can be caused and prevented by one side of people and that politics are more powerful than the hand of God.
Some people have been called Satan, and others have been called Saviors.
If we do in deed, see the conditions of our world as troubled and feel a sense of being trapped, then perhaps we may want to take a closer look at the way we are dealing with things. So many times, we look outward for solutions and we rely on change to come from others. We think so much in the ‘big picture’ scenario and fail to see the impact that can take place in our world, when first we look within ourselves.
Sometimes, it begins with the greeting.
As I walk through public places and move through crowds in stores, shops, events, and streets, I see people on guard. We no longer make eye contact, and if we do, it is by way of sizing each other up. Looking for potential dangers as two stray dogs meeting for the first time.
Some of us avoid each other by keeping our heads down and our eyes on phones and other devices. We keep ourselves locked in a world in which we feel save. Acknowledging a stranger feels uncomfortable and even frightening.
It’s as if we all have built high walls around ourselves. Protecting ourselves from the stranger. The one that may be on the opposing side of our views and opinions. The one we have heard such horrible things about. The one we believe is the cause of the world’s downfall. The one we see as dangerous and evil.
The stranger we refuse to welcome.
In the book of Genesis is a story about the life of a man named Abraham.
In the midst of this exciting story is a small moment, I feel has often been overlooked;
Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, (in this case, similar to the phrase, “Sir.”) do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” – Genesis 18:2-5 NIV
There is more to this story in which we will cover another time, but right now I wish to focus on this one important piece.
In this part of the story, Abraham is living in the desert. A nomadic man living in a land surrounded by strangers. There were dangers in Abrahams time, just as in our own. There were reasons to fear others in Abraham’s time, just as in our own.
The men before Abraham were strangers. They were not from Abraham’s tent or family or community. He did not know them and yet, he welcomed them with open arms, showing them the utmost hospitality.
Abraham did not just look their way and nod. He did not just let them pass without incident, nor did he size them up like another stray dog. In fact, Abraham did not even position himself as authority, even though the strangers were in his territory. Instead, he bowed before them and gave them the best that he had.
What if we did the same?
What if we greeted the stranger?
What if we showed kindness as opposed to distrust?
What if we showed generous hospitality to everyone that came our way?
And what if we did this even to people we knew we did not see eye to eye with on everything?
There is a chance that, if we spend less time protecting ourselves from strangers and more time inviting, we may find that there is commonality even between our differences. We may even find new friends.
In the time of Abraham, the world was not a safe place. Life was lost and people were abused. There were dangers and many differences of opinions. People fought over beliefs, values, threats, territories, etc. There were lines drawn and sides chosen. Just like today, there were feelings of distrust and fear.
Abraham would see evil up close in his lifetime. He would see brutality. He would lose people close to him. He would feel the presence of God and feel as if God was absent. He would experience fear, doubt, disbelief, and he would question his own safety and future.
And yet, Abraham welcomed three strangers with great hospitality.
Even in a world of much restlessness and fear, he chose to welcome rather than defend.
What if we did the same?
In our world that seems like a hole getting deeper and deeper, what if we chose to help each other, rather than fight with one another? What if we chose a common ground of hospitality and kindness rather than a wall of distrust and fear?
What if we said hello to the people we pass by in our stores and shops? What if we kept the phones in our pockets and looked others in the eye with a friendly smile?
And what if we welcomed the stranger? What if we listened more to people and, instead of quarreling in our differences, looked a bit further to find our commonalities?
Can two people, with differences, work together to dig up from a hole?
The tools are given to us by God, in way of love, grace and forgiveness.
Perhaps we can use them to first knock down our walls.
And then together, we can build our way up instead of continually digging down.