The Alien

Deut 31:12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.

Isn’t this verse a great picture of what the church should look like?

It should be an assembly, a gathering, of all genders, all ages, and people from all planets (ha) and it should be for the sole purpose of hearing, learning, and fearing the Lord – by being careful to observe his word.

If we are careful to preach his Word – his love – his sacrifice – to the masses – they will hear and respond.  If we veer and start preaching at people, shaking fingers in their faces, or strutting around like we’re better than they are – they won’t get it.  The love of God will be overshadowed with the love of self.

I love the word “alien” in this text.  It’s those who are “other than” who we are.

Some of my best friends are complete opposite of me.  And that’s okay.  We don’t want clones.  We want people of all kinds to see Him and to love Him and to experience the radical change that love can make in their lives by healing all of their hurts and covering all of their shame.