Most people I know are apprehensive when they encounter strangers or someone different from themselves. How do you respond to strangers? Take a few moments and think about a time (recently) when you met someone new or different from you. Were you welcoming, trusting, maybe a bit curious? Or did their difference put you on edge, make you feel a little uneasy or perhaps frightened?
As you spend a few moments examining your feelings about strangers or those who you don’t usually associate with, notice your natural tendencies towards those who are unfamiliar. No guilt trips, just honest observations.
How would you develop a habit of welcoming? What if in the course of a day you looked for or created an opportunity to reach out to someone who you would usually keep at arm’s length. Maybe this making eye contact with someone whom you would usually ignore (A homeless man or woman asking for money on the MLK Blvd).
And remember, we are all “the stranger” at one time or another.
Living a Life-giving Lent 