Exodus 22:21
Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.
My ancestors arrived in this country as aliens some 1600 years ago – the Angles and Saxons from northern Germany. Some of you have arrived a bit more recently! But what matters is not our physical ancestry, but the fact that we “are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household” (Ephesians 2.19). Let’s remember that, when we meet those from other cultures and countries. Hebrews 13.2 says “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Father, help us treat all people as those made in your image, loved by you, and in whom and through whom you may work.
…Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger…
from Patrick’s Breastplate, ancient Celtic prayer
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