“Stranger in a Strange Land”
by Willie Sordillo
Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
Matthew 10:40
Many years ago, at an age of great trust or great foolishness, I hopped on a plane to Mexico on short notice to meet an author I’d been corresponding with whose writing had affected me profoundly. The foolish part was that I had not made arrangements for accommodations once I’d arrived in Cuernavaca, and my Spanish was less than functional. I did have a list of places offering housing to travelers, and was destined for a convent. Using mostly sign language, I managed to befriend a man who indicated which bus I should travel on and where to get off.
A long ride into the countryside later, I arrived not at a convent, but a monastery, and the brother whom I interrupted seems to have been unimpressed with the verse from Matthew quoted above. He grudgingly permitted me to use the phone, and I began calling every number on my housing list, most often resulting in being hung up on when my Spanish failed. Finally, someone on the receiving end handed the phone to a native English speaker.
After ascertaining where I was, she informed me that I was far from any lodging, the last bus back to town had long departed, and no taxi driver would fetch me unaccompanied. “The only way you’re going to get back is for me take a taxi to come get you,” she said, and directed me to go out onto the road and wait.
Time passed. Darkness fell. Coyotes howled, sending chills down my spine as they mocked my foolishness. An eternity later, a taxi pulled up about 20 feet ahead of me; a young woman burst out, ran to me, threw her arms around my neck, kissed me and whispered, “You’re my husband. I’ll explain later.”
In short, the taxista had attempted to take advantage of a woman traveling alone, and had driven in the opposite direction from her instructions. She was only able to discourage him by telling him she was pregnant and needed to get to her husband.
In the end, this woman escorted me, a complete stranger, to a hotel, saw me safely registered and bid me farewell, asking nothing in return. She began this rescue mission understanding full well the risks to her safety as a single woman travelling alone at night.
If she could do this, what can I do to welcome the stranger to my church, my neighborhood, and across any border which might separate us?
Lord, help me welcome the stranger, knowing that when I do, I welcome not only her, but you.
Willie Sordillo is a member of Edwards Church, Administrator of the Pastoral Excellence Network and Music Director of Jazz Worship at Old South Church in Boston.