Foreigner
by Erik Carlson
Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.
— Exodus 23:9
I remember my first day at Agassiz middle school. I was entering the sixth grade, leaving a small school of maybe 40 children in a grade, and entering a large school with almost 700 children in a grade, and there were two grades in that school (6th and 7th). I felt like such a foreigner. I was confused, I was in awe, I was scared, I was nervous, let’s just say I was battling with a multitude of feelings. I have felt this a couple times, I felt like a foreigner at my childhood church growing up. It was a church in Moorhead, filled with a lot of Moorhead residents, and I was a kid from Fargo. My first day at Fargo South high school, all the same feelings came back to me.
Thankfully in each one of those situations at some point or another I was greeted or welcomed by someone. Just a single smile got me through that situation of feeling like a foreigner, of feeling left out, nervous, or scared. I am sure I would have eventually found my own way in those situations, but having someone reach out to me, extend a hand to me felt like someone tossing me a life preserver while I am floundering in the water.
Now, I think this situation can be extended to just about any situation. Where have you seen people be the “foreigner?” Maybe it's someone new moving into your neighborhood, maybe it is a new kid in school, maybe it is literally a foreigner from Ethiopia who is seeking refuge here, away from a terrible situation. Whatever the case may be, God directs us to “Do not oppress a foreigner.” Now I think as Christians, it doesn’t stop there, not only are we called not to oppress a foreigner but go further with it. We are called to love one another, reach out in kindness, extend a hand, share God’s love and grace with everyone.
When have you felt like a “foreigner,” what was the situation? Have you ever extended your hand to a “foreigner,” have you ever thrown out a proverbial life preserver to someone floundering? I would love to hear your stories of loving one another as God has loved us!
In peace,
Erik Carlson
Student Life Coach
