Think back to times you’ve travelled. Even on a well planned trip you might have experienced vulnerability because of differences in customs, currency, and language. Imagine being far from home due to necessity, not recreation. You would be in a vulnerable and scary situation; I know this from experience.
Scripture commands the Israelites, and later the Christians, to treat foreigners, widows, and orphans fairly and with compassion. These are some of the most vulnerable in any society, likely to be taken advantage of and discounted. I’m amazed at how many times the command to care for foreigners is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments.
God recently opened a door for me to show hospitality to a young woman from India. We had met when I was a campaign manager and she was applying for an internship. The candidate paid me for the work I did for the campaign but shorted her because he could. Several months after this incident she called, dispirited. She had invested considerable effort to get to the US and earn an MBA and had not been able to find work. Her visa and savings were running out, and two supposedly respectable individuals had taken advantage of her. She had nowhere to turn and had become isolated and fearful. She’s a person of deep Hindu faith, and she had prayed for a place of safety and peace. As we spoke, James’ words ran through my mind:
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17
I knew I needed to offer her a place to stay. I was living alone in a family sized home, and had been praying God would show me how to best use this resource. While listening to her story, I knew that, if I had just wished her well, I would be withholding what I had pledged in faith to offer.
God has answered her prayers and mine. It has been a blessing to break her fall with resources that would otherwise be unused. I really enjoy having her in my home and she has felt safe and secure here while she continues to search for a job. I thank God for this opportunity to live out my faith.
Application: What resources do you have to offer? Ask God to show you how they could be used. Watch for answers!
by Sherry Sommer
