Strangers and Foreigners

“All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:13-16) There are so many wonderful aspects to Hebrews 11, that it is hard to decide upon what one should focus.  But I am intrigued by the idea that as Christians, we have become “strangers and foreigners” in this world.  I doubt if any of us much like the idea of that; we like to feel at home.  But the question for me (and perhaps for you as well this week) is this: if I recall that I’m a stranger here myself, how might that change the way that I treat other strangers?  How might I approach people who are different from me if this new reality of “not being at home in this world” really took hold of me?  Perhaps we might be a little more empathetic, a little more patient and loving.  Perhaps we would not cling so tenaciously to what we have if we could recall that God is preparing something far better.  What if embracing this new identity is crucial for healing a broken church within a broken world?  Like I said, Hebrews 11 gives one plenty upon which to contemplate.