Noticing

Stranger danger describes the danger to children presented by strangers. The phrase is intended to sum up the danger associated with adults whom children do not know. The phrase has found widespread usage and many children will hear it (or similar advice) during their childhood lives. Many books, films and public service announcements have been devoted to helping children remember this advice. The concept has been criticized for ignoring the fact that most child abductions and harm are not due to strangers, but rather someone the child is familiar with or related to...The process of constantly warning children of possible danger in the form of strangers has also been criticised as exaggerating the potential threat and unnecessarily spreading mistrust, especially when considering that (for example) in the US, about 800,000 children are reported at least temporarily missing every year, yet only 115 "become victims of what is viewed as classic stranger abductions".[2] In situations where the child is in danger for other reasons, avoiding strangers (who might help) could in fact be dangerous itself, such as in the case of an 11-year-old Boy Scout who avoided rescue searchers because he feared they might want to 'steal him'.[2]  www.wikipedia.com

Too many of us Jesus-followers are too afraid to greet someone that we don’t know.  Perhaps it’s because many of us who are now in our 50’s grew up being taught about “stranger danger.”  Even though we are grown ups now, it’s hard to shake that training embedded in us so early.  Perhaps it’s because were are too busy or too stressed to engage the “other.”  Whatever the reason, failing to engage the people in our neighborhood with the grace and peace of Christ is also failing to be faithful to the God that loved us and reached out to us first.  Below are two examples of what can happen when we remember to great others as if they really are God’s sons and daughters.

Connie’s story: This week my story is about two young men I ran across sleeping in their car at HEB Riverside parking lot.  I feel like it was God’s work at hand. As I pulled up to park, I immediately noticed them sleeping. I went in to purchase what I needed. As I came out I saw they were stirring and waking up.  I waved and said hi.  The guy on the passenger side rolled down the window to say, “we are going to leave in just a few minutes.”   I told him not to worry that I wasn’t trying to bother them.  I saw they had stuff that looked like band equipment in the back seat (amps, wires, small speakers, extension chords).  The guy said they had  played in downtown  Austin but didn't have cash for a room.  The young man said they were from Houston.  I asked them how often they come to Austin to play.  He said, “ sometimes we get calls that they need help, but then we don’t have the money for a room and are too tired to drive back.”  “And sometimes,” the other guy added,” not a place to shower” as he tried to comb his bushy hair. (They didn’t share “where” they had played.)  I told him about our campus.  I didn’t tell them they could shower but did tell them they could come visit.  And that we had J.D. who would love to meet them, and maybe drink some coffee, shoot some hoops, or get online. I gave them my card and shared my story that my son was doing music, too, and invited them to a service the next time they were in town. I feel awesome about this because I saw smiles on their faces when I told them they we welcome to “hang out”.  Of course, I didn’t add “come to a service” until the end, but by then they seemed comfortable enough.

Pastor Tina’s Story:  As I hurried into HEB to pick up a few things the church needed a young man saw my clergy collar and asked if he could use my phone to call his mother.  I was in a hurry.  I had a lot to get done.  And here was someone who needed something.  I smiled and said yes and quietly prayed as he dialed his phone to talk to his mom.  As he was talking to his mother one of the HEB employees smiled and thanked me. Apparently he had been watching him try to call his mom for some time.  The HEB employee told me that he had a phone card but it was from Canada so it didn’t work on our phones. Apparently the young man had been trying to find a kind person for some time.  My attention was directed back to the young Canadian who was trying to give his mother his location.  After spelling O-l-t-o-r-f several times we were both laughing that it seemed so hard for his mom to hear.  She was wiring him some money and they were coordinating that transaction.  As he was closing his conversation with his mother he asked if he could use my phone again on my way out to confirm that the wire transfer worked okay (he didn’t want his mom to worry.)  I agreed.  After the second phone call I listened to him for a while. A musician -- he had come to town for a specific job and and decided to stay for the music festival.  I invited him to church and told him I could introduce him to other musicians on Sunday morning. Who knows if he’ll come.  I do know that the HEB employee and the young Canadian now have a slightly different picture of Jesus people -- as if they really might care.  Let’s hope the next one they run into does.   If you want to find out more about how Parker Lane is training the Jesus followers who worship here to greet their neighbors you can read more at www.parkerlane.org.  If you’d like to support the work of the church you can donate on line at that same website.