strangers

Today during the Children's Message at church, one of the kids brought up an idea that most Christians avoid. It was somewhat amusing watching the minister squirm with the difficult topic. The scene progressed in a fashion such as this:

Pastor Velma was talking about today's baptism and she said how baptisms remind us that we are all brothers and sisters. All of us - those in the church, those at school, those people walking down the street. One of the kids asked her, "What about strangers? Are they our brothers and sisters?"

"Yes, all people are our brothers and sisters."

"But we're not supposed to talk to strangers?"

"Right. Don't talk to strangers."

Another kid piped in, "Because they could take us away."

"Yes, they do strange things; that's why they're called strangers. But they're still your brothers and sisters. They're your brothers and sisters...at a distance. They can be your brothers and sisters over there."

I only thought this was funny because it's a problem that should bother all Christians. How are we to love those whom we're afraid of? How can we reach out to people and yet keep our distance? We can't. Luckily I've found a church that is active in its faith. Several members have their own pet projects in which they're involved, including homelessness, justice in Milwaukee, education and poverty, Cuba, and just helping the random people that wander into our church, which is pretty common when you're placed next to a soup kitchen in a shadier part of the city. The congregation is a healthy mix of blue-collar workers to teachers and lawyers. It's a good group to be a part of, even if they can be frustrating, as most churchs tend to be. I hope the kids continue to remind us of the challenges that we face and inspire us to keep moving forward.