By Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB

They do not recognize the voice of strangers. – John 10:5

Strangers often make us nervous … especially when they look homeless or needy.

Sometimes we don’t make eye contact, and sometimes – if they call out to us – we pretend not to hear.

Our fear often dictates what we do or don’t do.

But consider: Every single one of us is God’s child.

And God may indeed be speaking through the stranger we fear.

God speaks through all of us … educated and not … wealthy and poor … healthy and ill.

We are called to listen.

Whether to the homeless person on the street, the exhausted woman at the food pantry, or the Gospel at church, we are called to attend to Christ. We are called, as St. Benedict tells us, to treat everyone as Christ.

For, with the Lord at our side, “whom shall we fear”?