Strangers and angels: walking with poverty (Part 2 of 2)

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by David Harris

This blog is part 2 of a sermon from our rich archive. For part 1 visit HERE. It was first written as an entry for Sermon of the Year 2021 and published in Cross the Divide.

Strangers and Angels

The writer of the Book of Hebrews provides a humbling picture for seeking to address the divisions between those of us with money and credit cards in our pockets, and those without, ‘Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.’ [Hebrews 13:2]. A common dictionary definition of an angel is a ‘messenger of God’ (think of the angel Gabriel bringing messages to Mary and Elizabeth).

A small group of us used to take part in a city centre ‘soup run’. We met up and for a couple of hours buttered bread, collected cakes that the local bakery had not been able to sell the previous day, and made soup. Then we drove to a car park where there would be between 25 and 50 people waiting for us. The food we had spent hours collecting and preparing went within a matter of minutes. For me, more precious than the food was the conversations we had in that car park afterwards.

One lady carried plastic bags containing all that she had in the world but said, ‘It’s OK, God is with me. I don’t need to worry.’ One man cried as he recalled a happy childhood singing in Sunday school and attending a youth club, ‘Those memories keep me going during these awful times,’ he said.

I gained far more from that group of people than I could ever give. In a very real way, they were messengers of God for me. At a time when I was pre-occupied with making sure I was selected for my next promotion; considering whether it was the right time to move to a bigger house; or trade up to a better car; the people in that car park helped me to examine what was important in my life, and to share and learn with them. Although our social and financial circumstances were different, there were far more things that united us as human beings than ever divided us.

Crossing those divisions cannot be just a one-off act of dropping coins into an outstretched hand or coffee cup. It has to be a lifestyle where we travel together in love and support, never losing sight of the kind of kingdom that Jesus called us each to follow. The person asking me for money in the high street may also be a messenger of God for me. How dare I pretend they don’t exist? How dare I keep looking straight ahead and avoid eye contact? It is only when we break down the divisions that exist externally, and within ourselves, that we truly recognise not only that each person is of inherent value in God’s Kingdom, but that God actually is within each person that we come across. It’s a two-way process.

Of course, our lives will take different routes and I am not arguing for some egalitarian view of the world where we all have identical lifestyles. There will be differences between us, but we are challenged to tackle the divisions that also exist, and to respond to the needs of our sisters and brothers without prejudice or favour, recognising that we are all equal in the sight of God.

Travelling together

I find the image of ‘pilgrimage’ helpful in seeking to cross the divisions that can develop between us. My personal experience of this is very limited, although I have fond memories of a one-day pilgrimage around the Isle of Iona. We were a very mixed group of people – different ages, abilities, backgrounds, faiths (or none) – and with different reasons for being there. I learned a lot about travelling together and appreciating the differences and the divisions that existed within our group. On a pilgrimage:

  • We encounter strangers, as well as people we already know

  • We spend time with other people

  • We use the time we have to tell our story; and take time to listen to others as they tell theirs

  • We are all in it together, adjusting our pace to help others keep up, and giving assistance when it is needed

  • We face challenges and celebrate triumphs together

  • We rest and recuperate together

  • We share our sandwiches!

  • We have a common goal of getting to some kind of holy place

  • We cross the divisions between us when we travel together – listening, sharing, facing challenges, enduring, and supporting each other.

The gospels call upon us to respond to the needs of all the people that we come into contact with irrespective of background, culture, wealth, status, or appearance. As the king in the story said, ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.’

So, we DO make eye contact; we DON’T pretend people on the other side of the divide have no existence; we travel together; ‘for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.’

David Harris
David Harris is a Methodist local preacher based in Sheffield. Following a career in social work management, he worked for a national homelessness charity and for the Methodist Church in different roles, including as a lay chaplain at Nottingham Trent University. He has contributed to magazines, newspapers, and radio and is a regular contributor to 60 Second Sermon on BBC Radio Sheffield.