Interfaith Insight - 2024
Permanent link for "Loving the Stranger in a Time of Oppression," by Douglas Kindschi, Founding Director of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, GVSU on April 2, 2024
Earlier version originally published on May 16, 2019
“Do not ill-treat a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in Egypt.” (Exodus 22:20)
In a time of increasing xenophobia and the normalization of hate talk, we need to be reminded of the religious call for not only love of neighbor but also love of the stranger.
We are familiar with the summary of the law given by Jesus when asked what must we do to inherit eternal life. He responded, “Love God and love your neighbor,” quoting the passage from the Hebrew Scriptures, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). That same chapter also deals with how to treat the stranger: “When a stranger lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The stranger living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were strangers in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 19:33-34)
The rabbis have counted over 30 references to loving the stranger in their scripture. In a column by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi in the United Kingdom, he discusses two aspects of this command. “The first is the relative powerlessness of the stranger. He or she is not surrounded by family, friends, neighbors, a community of those ready to come to their defense. Therefore the Torah warns against wronging them because God has made Himself protector of those who have no one else to protect them.”
The second aspect is what Sacks calls the “psychological vulnerability of the stranger. […] The stranger is one who lives outside the normal securities of home and belonging. He or she is, or feels, alone -- and, throughout the Torah, God is especially sensitive to the sigh of the oppressed, the feelings of the rejected, the cry of the unheard. That is the emotive dimension of the command.”
Sacks writes that in the ancient world, “Hatred of the foreigner is the oldest of passions, going back to tribalism and the prehistory of civilization.” This is reflected in the story of Joseph when his brothers visit him in Egypt. When it came time to eat, the book of Genesis records, “They served him [Joseph] by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians.” (Gen. 43:32)
The dislike of those who seem different is an old phenomenon and often the source of racial and ethnic conflict. It is an increasing phenomenon in our own country as well as throughout the world. In times of uncertainty we often find comfort by affiliating with our own people, to those who look or think like we do, by returning to our separate tribes. All of our religious traditions, however, teach us to respect and provide help to the stranger.
Not only did the Torah teach that we should not ill-treat or oppress the stranger, but Jesus also tells of those who would be blessed because, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. … Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:34-40)
The same can be found in the letter from the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews: “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:1-2) In addition, the letter from John says, “Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers.” (3 John 1:5)
We find similar admonishments in Islamic, Hindu and other religious texts. The Qur’an says, “Do good unto your parents, and near of kin, and unto orphans, and the needy, and the neighbor from among your own people, and the neighbor who is a stranger” (from Surah 4:36). In the Hindu tradition we read, “Let a person never turn away a stranger from his house, that is the rule. Therefore a man should, by all means, acquire much food, for good people say to the stranger: ‘There is enough food for you’” (from Taitiriya Upanishad 1.11.2).
The religious traditions promote this approach to caring for the stranger, but also studies show that diversity and inclusion lead to more vibrant communities.
The Jewish and Christian Scriptures recognize another reason to treat everyone with respect, with the concept of all persons being created in God’s image. Rabbi Sacks writes, “What is revolutionary in this declaration is not that a human being could be in the image of God. That is precisely how kings of Mesopotamian city-states and pharaohs of Egypt were regarded. They were seen as the representatives, the living images, of the gods. That is how they derived their authority. The Torah’s revolution is the statement that not some, but all, humans share this dignity. Regardless of class, color, culture, or creed, we are all in the image and likeness of God.”
In today’s environment, will we allow fear of the stranger, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other types of hate-speech and even violence, to grow? Or, will we heed the lessons of our various faith traditions to respect all persons, love our neighbor and even the stranger? All persons of goodwill are called to affirm human dignity for all persons, especially the stranger.
