Dealing with strangers - Part 1

The satellite is simply a unusual place; mundane done antithetic transmission we travel crossed radical we hardly know. True friends, adjacent associates and adjacent couples were erstwhile strangers to each other. There is simply a saying by an anonymous person: “It takes a time to cognize someone.”Every alien is simply a unusual idiosyncratic until you interact closely. Building a affirmative mind-set successful relationship, particularly with radical we don’t cognize is the purpose of this sermon and study.

Who Is A Stranger?
Anybody could beryllium a stranger. Everyone is simply a alien to idiosyncratic determination unknown. In life, we volition support gathering with strangers.
Oxford defines alien to mean:
• A idiosyncratic who 1 does not cognize oregon with whom 1 is not familiar.
• A idiosyncratic who does not cognize oregon is not known successful a peculiar spot oregon community.
• A idiosyncratic who is wholly unaccustomed to a feeling, acquisition oregon situation.
• A alien successful the method consciousness of the word whitethorn beryllium defined to beryllium a idiosyncratic of overseas extraction.
During the Bible times, anyone from a overseas onshore residing successful Palestine was considered a ‘stranger.’ Jews had regulated ‘special laws’ to strangers:
•They were not allowed to participate the congregation of the Lord adjacent to their 10th generation. “An Ammonite oregon Moabite shall not participate into the congregation of the LORD; adjacent to their tenth procreation shall they not participate into the congregation of the LORD forever,”(Deut. 23:3).

Other Rules In Dealing With Strangers Was
Also Given In Deut. 24:14-21.
14: “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is mediocre and needy, whether 1 of your brethren oregon 1 of the aliens who is successful your onshore wrong your gates. 15: Each time you shall springiness him his wages, and not fto the prima spell down connected it, for helium is mediocre and has acceptable his bosom connected it; lest helium outcry retired against you to the Lord, and it beryllium misdeed to you. 16: Fathers shall not beryllium enactment to decease for their children, nor shall the children beryllium enactment to decease for their fathers; a idiosyncratic shall beryllium enactment to decease for his ain sin. 17: “You shall not pervert justness owed the alien oregon the fatherless, nor instrumentality a widow’s garment arsenic a pledge. 18: But you shall retrieve that you were a enslaved successful Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; truthful I bid you to bash this thing. 19: “When you reap your harvest successful your field, and hide a sheaf successful the field, you shall not spell backmost to get it; it shall beryllium for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God whitethorn bless you successful each the enactment of your hands. 20: When you bushed your olive trees, you shall not spell implicit the boughs again; it shall beryllium for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 21: When you stitchery the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall beryllium for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.”

These Includes:
• They were not to beryllium oppressed.
• They were to beryllium paid for theirlabourand connected time.
• Their relatives were not to endure for their offences.
• Their judgments were not to beryllium perverted.
• Leftover was to beryllium intentionally created for them during harvest – stock your abundance with them.
• Always person a reserved point for strangers – they were to beryllium budgeted for and;
• Widows successful Israel were not allowed to wed strangers – Deut. 25:5.
• Strangers should beryllium portion of your celebrations and feasting – Deut. 26:10-11.
• Strangers were to beryllium portion of the thirdyear tithe – Deut. 26:12.
• Jews could bargain them arsenic slaves – Lev. 25:44.
• Venerable Stephen Wolemonwu is the Rector, Ibru Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State (08035413812)