While trying to convey this message of hospitality to the kids in Sunday school, I asked what their attitude should be towards strangers and I received a chorus answer 'Mummy/Daddy said we should never talk to strangers'.
Thinking about this, this is the dilemma of our world today. Our mantra should be 'Do unto others what we would like them do unto us'. Unfortunately, fear and suspicion of our neighbour would not let us dare.
And we see it everywhere around us; this is driving the current migrant crisis and our unwelcoming behavior towards migrants. This is why we are hesitant to give food, or clothing or shelter to passers by on the road because we are not sure if they will wish us evil in return. This is why we cannot give stranded passengers a lift for fear that they will turn out to be thieves or armed robbers. This is why we are wary and unwelcoming of our 'distant relatives' because we are not sure by how far they have plotted our downfall or who has sent them from the village.
The result of all this is that we have convinced ourselves that our eyes, ears, hearts, hands, doors and borders will remain closed towards strangers.
Hard as it may seem, this is not the way things are meant to be. On the contrary, we need to open up to those in need whether known to us or not. Pope Francis reminds us that we must see in refugees, and indeed in all strangers, the flesh of Christ and this in turn must influence our behavior towards them.
Therefore we must not lose hope that one day, someday, we will be less suspicious and more tolerant and hospitable towards each other; and then we can teach our children to be the same.
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