102: Welcome Strangers into Our Home (3)

【Stay with Us?】
"I want to help people in real need."
 
We usually say so, that is, under normal circumstances.
 
But when a stranger in urgent need of help--including those who’ve become homeless or refugees--actually appears at our doorstep, our thoughts begin to shift. When we honestly consider this, the safety concerns quietly creep into our minds.
 
Regrettably, those fears often drive us to tweak our earlier statement: “I want to help people in real need--just not in my own backyard.”
 
For many of us, welcoming a stranger into our sanctuary--our home sweet home--feels completely out of the question.
 
Yet, is that truly who we want to be?
 
Around the world, countless people lack basic necessities like running tap water, sanitary toilets, and refrigerators. Many struggle to find enough food to eat or clean clothes to wear.
 
Too many people live without peace or comfort because of abuse/violence/poverty. The painful truth is that so many were simply born into such circumstances.
 
And they’re not just “somewhere out there” in the world.
They're also very much nearby.
 
To make life better for everyone, what can each of us do?
 
One tangible step is to welcome into our own neighborhood to build new affordable housing. That matters.
 
But, what about those who can’t even enter our country because they’re non-citizens? Or the children who require adult care and protection? Many people in serious need have no option but to find a home willing to take them in.
 
When we honestly confront the reality that an overwhelming number of people are in real need of help--even at this very moment--we face a choice. Instead of telling them “Anywhere but here,” let us have the courage to offer, “Would you like to stay with us?”
 
We ask ourselves: are we ready to welcome someone in serious need into our own home?

The encouraging truth is that we can decide for ourselves. We can talk openly with everyone in our household. We can decide, together.
 
We can make our home more than a place of comfort, but also a place of action--of support/volunteerism.
 
That is, our will to help, even if it may require opening up of our sanctuary. Welcoming even a stranger into our own home because they’re in real need of help.
 
That is, letting go of our instinct to keep within the family. Trying our best to extend the same “kindness for our family” to others in serious need of help as well.
 
For these reasons, welcoming even a stranger into our home is profoundly important.

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