Loving Strangers | Fellow Noah Plott '24

It is no secret that the Church in America today has an image issue. Christians are called to love their neighbor, to love their enemy, and to be the hands and feet of Christ, yet, Christianity has recently become synonymous with a variety of forms of bigotry. This is not always a valid criticism of the American Church, but its prevalence amongst non-Christian and ex-Christian audiences necessitates a response.

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, he writes “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13). This simple encouragement has proved timeless and effective for us today who continue to flounder in our commitment to love our neighbor. This command has two subjects: first, the believer or Christian; and second, the stranger. This second portion of Paul’s command is what I believe is relevant to us today. 

The word translated to English as hospitality appears originally as philoxenia in Greek, a compound word comprised of philo (friend, love) and xenos (stranger). Interestingly, then, hospitality necessarily refers to a love of strangers; a display of friendship to those considered least deserving. It should be noted that philoxenia appears as the direct negation of xenophobia, which when taken more generically, encompasses the entire spectrum of disdain and dislike for strangers, from homophobia to islamophobia. 

Hospitality is more than simply not hating others, it is the radical extension of love and friendship to those different from ourselves. I believe Paul explained how to do this in his first letter to the Corinthians, writing “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 13:22b). Paul did not become like the Jew or the Gentile in belief or thought, but in custom and deed. Paul asserts that Christians have the liberty to live amongst strangers, amongst sinners, and to reveal the blessings of Christ free of charge. 

Whether linguistic hospitality or physical invitation, loving strangers takes conscious effort. We may not be able to shift the popular image of the Church overnight, but we do have the ability to show the image of Christ to those in our immediate vicinity.

Photo of Noah, his fiancé and some international student friends.