My Favorite Verses - Vol V (Feb 17 to Jun 17)

Hebrews 13:2 … Kindness to the Angels
(06/08/2017)
“Show kindness to all strangers, for by doing so
many have entertained angels unawares.”
~ unknown (Hebrews 13:2)
While this verse does illuminate the Truth that there is an innate Divinity
within every sentient being -- and that there is Divinity at the Heart of every
human interaction as well (even encounters as innocuous as passing stranger on the
street, and even those as harsh as being attacked by a supposed “enemy”), such an
emphasis actually hinders this verse's potency … For we are not to treat strangers
with Kindness because they are angels in disguise (a focus which implies that we are
to treat them lovingly because A) they might do something Kind for us in return, or B)
they are innately Good and thereby worthy of being conditionally “loved” as a result).
No, in truth we are actually Called to treat strangers as if they were angels while
they are behaving otherwise and as if they are anything but (see Matthew 5:43-48)
… Indeed, our Kindness is most potent in those moments we are convinced that
strangers are “dangerous” or “mean” or “dishonest” or even “evil”, and yet reach
out to them with Kindness anyway (see Luke 6:27-36) – not because they are
potentially “angels in
disguise”, but because
they are probably not
angels in drag; because
they are simply human
beings in obvious pain;
because they are others
just like us – albeit
possibly more confused
by greed and probably
more befuddled by fear
… In essence, we are to
be Kind to them not
because of their innate
Divinity – but simply
because they have
obviously lost touch
with the same, and we
are the only ones in that
moment who can bring
them back thereto.
Amen … Let it be so.
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