New Here

Have you ever been the new kid? Maybe your family relocated while you were young. Perhaps you had to switch schools at some point. Or maybe you tried out a new sports team, group, or even church.

We never outgrow the feeling of uncertainty that comes with being in a new environment. The first day at a new job, moving into a new neighborhood, or joining a new community group.

Nothing eases that nervousness more than the chance to connect with someone who reaches out to us in our moment of vulnerability. That’s why the Bible repeatedly calls us to welcome foreign people who live among us. They face a number of vulnerabilities that require our special attention. It’s incumbent on us who make our home in the United States to reach out with welcoming arms.

As a nation of immigrants, this is part of our rich American heritage. As the plaque on the Statue of Liberty reminds us all, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Blessings,
Pastor Paul Cook