Last night, I thought about Hebrews 11 for awhile, shared Hebrews 12 at  evening prayer, and found myself challenged by Hebrews 13 on the bus ride home.

It's a little after midnight. I board my second bus on my commute home, practically empty as usual and proceed my usual seat by the back door. A man enters and sits directly in front of me, turns around and initiates small talk. "Going home, from school, AU, religious studies... " the usual string of appropriate responses. He says he is from Ethiopia and that he works here. Asks if I am Catholic. "No, just Christian." The man explains that it is "good chance" that we meet. Says we were meant to be friends. Asks if we can talk religion. Sure, fifteen minute ride home... I could handle talking about Jesus for that long. He asks for my number. What? "Your number, I saw your cell phone, we will be friends and we can talk more". Uh, I'm stuck in a corner. How to get out of it. I have identified myself as a Christian, I know that this man is from another culture... how do I not give him my contact information with out disrespecting him or defaming God. With some hesitation, I obliged. Conversation continued... about religion and culture... and as I stepped off the bus, he promised that we would speak again. 

I am not sure if that would be a great idea. I am not sure why some random African man decided that we should be friends on a bus, and I am not sure if he called me if I would answer it. What I am sure of is that I cannot claim Christ and then cast judgment upon strangers, ignoring the opportunity to share Christ's love with them. 

Hebrews 13:2 says this: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." 

I'm not saying that he was an angel- actually I would be surprised if he was- but I am recognizing the command to not forget strangers, but rather to entertain them. What exactly does that mean?  After some geeky probing, I think it would be more accurate to say "Do not neglect to care for  and love strangers because some have shown hospitality to messengers of God without ever knowing it".

As Mathew Henry elaborates " he seems to speak of strangers such; though we know not who they are, nor whence they come, yet, seeing they are without any certain dwelling place, we should allow them room in our hearts and in our houses, as we have opportunity and ability."

Weird encounter on a bus? Yes, but also an opportunity to show love towards a stranger. I may not be offering housing, meals, and the things which were required of those "entertaining strangers" in Biblical times. But I did have the ability to share a conversation with him and the comfort of having a phone number of a new friend. I gave him a reach card for church, perhaps he will come by... perhaps he will call me... perhaps I shall never see him again. Regardless, I feel like I did what I could with the opportunity and ability I had in that moment.

It brings new meaning to the slightly annoying  song  lyrics "What if God were one of us.. just a stranger on the bus trying to make his way home". Would we walk past him? Or would we see him, converse with him, clothe him, feed him and offer hospitality to him as we are able?

"When did we see you a stranger and invite you in....?"  Lord, when did I have a conversation with you on the bus ride home? "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25: 38,40)