More Notes on The Stranger

( Click here to see previous notes.)

Here are the rest of the notes from that upcoming lecture:

2. p 2: “Over the past century, however, the center of gravity in the Christian world has shifted inexorably southward, to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Already today, the largest Christian communities on the planet are to be found in Africa and Latin America. If we want to visualize a ‘typical’ contemporary Christian, we should think of a woman living in a village in Nigeria or in a Brazilian favela. As Kenyan scholar John Mbiti has observed, ‘the centers of the church’s universality [are] no longer in Geneva, Rome, Athens, Paris, London, New York, but Kinshasa, Buenos Aires, Addis Ababa, and Manila”
3. Jenkins predicts that this trend will continue, and that the Christian population of the Southern hemisphere will continue to grow while the Christian population of the N hemisphere will decline: “In 1950, a list of the world’s leading Christian countries would have included Britain, France, Spain, and Italy, but none of these names would be represented in a corresponding list for 2050” (p 2)
4. here are the numbers: “According to the respected World Christian Encyclopedia, some 2 billion Christians are alive today, about one-third of the planetary total. The largest single bloc, some 560 million people, is still found in Europe. Latin America, though, is already close behind with 480 million, Africa has 360 million, and 313 million Asians profess Christianity. North America claims about 260 million believers. If we extrapolate these figures to the year 2025, and assume no great gains or losses through conversion, then there would be around 2.6 billion Christians, of whom 633 million would live in Africa, 640 million in Latin America, and 460 million in Asia. Europe, with 555 million, would have slipped to third place by 2050, only about one-fifth of the world’s 3 billion Christians will be non-Hispanic Whites. Soon the phrase ‘a White Christian’ may sound like a curious oxymoron, as mildly surprising as ‘a Swedish Buddhist.’”
5. p 8: “Since there were only a handful of Pentecostals in 1900, and several hundred million today, is it not reasonable to identify this as perhaps the most successful social movement of the past century? According to current projections, the number of Pentecostal believers should surpass the one billion mark before 2050. In terms of the global religions, there will by that point be roughly as many Pentecostals and Hindus, and twice as many as there are Buddhists. And that is just taking of the of the diverse currents of rising Christianity: there will be even more Catholics than Pentecostals”

III. Since reading Jenkins’s book, I’ve been eager to find ways to participate in some way in this movement: this is a wonderful movement of the Spirit of God; for all the flaws in Southern Christianity, the Lord is working there: but how can we be part of that?
A. you could go into missions: great idea: want to encourage that
B. mission field has come to us:
1. 75 countries represented at UI
2. more info about WSU in Pullman: 5 percent of the student body is international students: dunno what the student population at WSU is total: but if we take 25,000 student body: that’s over 1200 international students: the quick facts on the web site at WSU says, “While it’s difficult to find a foreign country without a student at WSU, Japan and China lead the list of countries and professional programs. The majority of Japanese students are found in WSU’s undergraduate programs statewide. On the other hand, the majority of Chinese students are found in the graduate programs. The top 15 countries with students at the Pullman campus are Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, India, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Norway, Germany, Canada, Thailand, Switzerland, Mexico, Vietnam, and Indonesia
C. think of the opportunity this is
1. many of these students may already be Christians: but think of the impact that we could have on the future development of Christianity in, say, China, if a dozen Chinese students were coming to Christ Church regularly and getting a dose of Doug Wilson’s preaching; think of the impact that could have when they returned home, likely to a position of considerable leadership in their fields of study, and positions of leadership in the church
2. many of them are not Christians: but they are people who have been displaced from home, from families; they are likely lonely and isolated; they are likely to have trouble adjusting to American culture, and could use assistance; they are likely to have language difficulties, and trouble keeping up with their studies; some will need basic necessities: clothing, household items, etc; the opportunities for kindness to international students are almost endless

III. this is not merely a strategy or tactic: this is a basic of biblical ethics: treatment of strangers and aliens is a central theme of the law and the prophets: one of the basic tests of Israel’s conformity to the covenant was their treatment of sojourners and aliens in the land: a few passages to look at:
0. variety of Hebrew words: a “stranger, alien”: “a person attached to a household but not a member of the family” ( ISBE ); might also describe “a non-native resident of a town or region, whose full acceptance as a citizen was resisted”; in Israel, this meant that there were Gentiles living in the land that were not part of Israel: and they were not only to be grudgingly tolerated, but were to be treated with respect and even love
A.first, being a sojourner or a stranger in a land is part of our heritage: these are our fathers who were strangers in a land that was not their own; long before Israel conquered Canaan, it was the “land of their sojournings” (Gen 17:8; 28:4; 36:7); when Israel went into Egypt, the situation was similar: they were sojourners and aliens in a foreign land
B. This experience becomes the basis for exhortations in the law to pay special attention to sojourners and strangers in the midst of Israel:
1. Ex 22:21: You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt
2. 23:9: You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of strangers, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt
3. Lev 19:34: the stranger is the great example of the one you should love as yourself: the neighbor: “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am Yahweh your God”: a direct application of the second great commandment, backed up with an allusion to the first great commandment
C. not only the specific historical experience of Israel, but the nature of God demands that we show mercy and take special care for the sojourners and strangers
1. Deut 10:17ff: Yahweh does not accept bribes or pervert justice: does not show partiality: this justice of God, a righteousness that cannot be bought off, is particularly shown in the fact that he acts justly for those who have nothing to pay, no benefits to give: the orphan, widow, and stranger: acts to defend the helpless and provides food and clothing for alien: not that the alien or the helpless are always in the right: but that God does not judge on the basis of their ability to pay him off; and v 19 applies this to Israel: God provides food and clothing for aliens, aliens like Israel in Egypt, whom He brought out with great wealth; and therefore Israel, the recipient of God’s justice to the alien, is to show love for alien
D. the standard is the second great commandment: treat neighbor as yourself; and also the trea
tment of brothers and fellow Israelites: they were to be granted Sabbath rest, right to worship, certain legal rights to fair trial, and so on; also provision and care; Deut 24:17ff gives some of the details of how this love should work itself out in relation to the alien
E. Israel’s faithfulness to covenant was judged, among other things, by their mercy to sojourners:
1. Jer 7:6: context is the “temple of the Lord” statements: they should not trust in the fact of the presence of the temple: rather, they must repent: and this means “practice justice between man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin”: idolatry and social injustice are the main issues:
2. Ezek 22:7: speaking an oracle against the “blood city”: blood of innocent shed; also defiled by idolatry; v 7: there is dishonor to parents, no respect for authority; and also no kindness toward the alien: “The alien they have oppressed in your midst; the fatherless and the widow they have wronged in you”
3. Mal 3:5: God is going to send His messenger to purify Israel and to refine her with fire: “I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien, and do not fear me”: this messenger is Elijah/John: and these are the sins against which John and Jesus witness
F. It won’t do to say that we don’t oppress the alien: Jesus makes it clear that the negative commands imply positive duties: not oppressing also implies caring for, assisting, helping the sojourner: Mat 25: the final judgment is determined on the basis of our generosity toward those who are in need: v 38, 43 explicitly mention the stranger
G. 2. not only the exodus, but the whole gospel is about the bringing near of “strangers and aliens”: those who were formerly far off: Eph 2:19ff; God has brought near sojourners and strangers, made them as members of his house, and offered His table to them: so ought we

IV. What to do? Lots of existing things that we could get involved with
A. CCM: Jim Wilson’s group has some things going: see if there’s any way you can help with that
B. there are campus groups and activities that you might get involved with
1. Friendship Families: UI has an office that coordinates international students with interested families: check out the UI website: Glen Kauffman is the coordinator of the program; if you live with a family, maybe you could suggest that
2. Household Goods exchange: you can contribute household items: also coordinated by Glen Kauffman
3. American Language and Culture Program: don’t know much about it: but might offer some opportunities; or put up a poster with your name on it and offer English language tutoring for international students
C. a few minutes web searching will get you a host of other opportunities: if there are compromises, then search out Christian groups that are involved

I have a dream:
-that Christ Church, and the other churches of the Palouse, would someday be a microcosm of the worldwide church: that it would be a place where Christians from every continent would be worshiping together, and living in covenant fellowship: and that dozens and even hundreds of students over the years would be sent back to every continent on the globe having been reformed and transformed by the ministry here at Christ Church: Christ Church has something unique to offer
-also have a dream that international students in a decade will know that the Christian churches of Moscow and Pullman are places where they will be welcomed, where they will be loved and cared for, where their material needs can be met; that the reputation of these churches would be such that every international student at both universities would know that these churches are places of safety and assistance: when an international student needs help of any kind, the Christ Church number will be the first one they contact