wan·der·er – a person who travels aimlessly; a traveler. “he is a longtime seaman, a rootless wanderer”

Psalms 146:1-10 MSG
1  Hallelujah! O my soul, praise GOD!
2  All my life long I’ll praise GOD, singing songs to my God as long as I live.
3  Don’t put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of life, of salvation life.
4  Mere humans don’t have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them.
5  Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in GOD and know real blessing!
6  GOD made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it. He always does what he says—
7  he defends the wronged, he feeds the hungry. GOD frees prisoners—
8  he gives sight to the blind, he lifts up the fallen. GOD loves good people,
9  protects strangers, takes the side of orphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked.
10  GOD’s in charge—always. Zion’s God is God for good! Hallelujah!

Matthew 25:31-45 MSG
31  “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne.
32  Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats,
33  putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
34  “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation.
35  And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room,
36  I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37  “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?
38  And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’
40  Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
41  “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell.
42  And why? Because— I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43  I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
44  “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’
45  “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

Hebrews 13:2 MSG  Be ready with a meal or a bed when it’s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!

 

Over the past several years I have listened to the debates from around the world about migrants, refugees, immigrants, and how should countries deal with these current topics.  It is not only one country, but almost every country including my home country Canada has been confronted head on with all of the above issues.  

Like many other issues which are divided, the issue of immigration is not immune from division and brings to the top a full range of emotions, the worst being outright hatred and bodily harm.

Every article I write is given the utmost sincerity and thoughtfulness.  I feel if I am experiencing then there must be others facing the same thoughts and emotions also.

I am not speaking to the politics of the matter for that is left up to the leaders of every sovereign country.  I would like to speak about the issues from a Biblical view within the Holy Scriptures.

The universal church has been given the handbook about how to tackle the issue of migrants, refugees, immigrants, widows, and even the orphans.  The church can and should be the prime example of God’s blueprint to the entire world.

Moses led God’s people out of Egypt to become Israel and for forty years they were a nation without a country to call home.  So it is so with the Body of Christ.  It is a people without a home also.  Yes, we have in our physical realm the countries where we were born.  We live in that country or by choice live in another.

My pastor when I was young told me this, “strangers are friends we haven’t met yet”.  I have kept that with me everywhere I have travelled.

My maternal grandmother was one who would never turn anyone away from her home.  I knew I could take anyone of my friends or aquaintences there and they would be accepted without question.  She would always offer a coffee or tea, and most times asked if they would like something to eat, especially if she had baked a pie.  She lived on a modest amount of money after my grandfather passed away.  She was an example for me that I would keep all these years.

I have always knew about the verse in Hebrews that Paul writes that we just might have entertained angels unaware.  I truly believe that even to this day.  Every stranger that I cross paths with in the back of my mind wonder if this person might be an angel of God.

Christ spoke to his disciples about visiting those in prison, giving aid the those that are sick, the homeless, the hungry, and those that are thirsty.  He told them:

Matthew 25:40 MSG
40  Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

That statement should give each and everyone one of us pause and cause us to think and act when it comes to those who are not as fortunate as ourselves.

Please, read the above portions of Scriptures and then ask the Lord to give you insight on how to react when a stranger, someone who is hungry and thirsty, comes to you when in need.

For that one who is impoverished and needs some kindness, be the extended arms of Christ to that one.  Bind up their wounds, give them food and water for you just might be the only Bible some will ever read.

Like President Reagan talked about ‘the shining city on the hill so must the Body of Christ be to all those around us.

Oh I know we cannot change the world all at once, but, we can change the corner and the garden that is around us, thus changing the world piece by piece.

The Church needs to be found busy when on that glorious day that we see Christ face to face and hear him say, “well done my good and faithful child”.