Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters,
especially for strangers;
they have testified to your love before the Church.
Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.
For they have set out for the sake of the Name
and are accepting nothing from the pagans.
Therefore, we ought to support such persons,
so that we may be co-workers in the truth. (3 Jn 5-8)
Strangers. There is much to be said about strangers. Most of it is not good.
We train our young people to be wary of strangers. “Stranger danger” is taught in the schools. People act suspicious of those whom they do not know.
However, strangers are merely brothers and sisters in the Lord whom we just do not know yet. Coming to know them, we often find that they bring a richness and depth into our lives that we did not have before.
John commended the early Christian community for caring for the strangers that were in their midst. He was moved by the testimony of the strangers who acknowledged that they were shown the love of Christ by the members of the community.
John was pleased. The other apostles and disciples were pleased. Jesus was just as pleased because it was He who told his followers to go out and love all people. “All people” did not just mean the people we know and love. All people meant just that: all people.
There is probably someone — or many someones — waiting on the sidelines for you to come to know. Take the time to know them and love them so that they can come to know the love of Jesus Christ.
FAITH ACTION: Is there someone who has lived on the fringe in your life? Try to bring that person into the circle of your family and friends today.