Friday, November 23, 2007

The Foreigner in India

An American man went to India, and when he stepped off the plane, he looked around at the throngs of people and saw that none looked like him. At that moment he felt that he was truly in a foreign land.

Then a man approached him and asked in English, “May I help you with your bags?” Upon hearing his native tongue, the man felt more comfortable immediately.

“Thank you,” the man said, handing his bags over. The baggage handler took him out to the street and to the line of cabs. He chose a cab at random and loaded the man’s bags in the trunk.

The American was terrified when he realized that he was about to be abandoned by the only man he had met who spoke English. But to his surprise, the cab driver said clearly, “Where may I take you too, sir?”

Relieved and surprised, the American told him which hotel he was staying at. The American and the cab driver had a lively conversation all the way to the hotel. When he was dropped off, he was still nervous about being in a strange culture, but not nearly as nervous as he had been just thirty minutes before.

As he approached the front desk, the man behind the counter said, “Good day, sir. How may I help you?” and once again the man was put at ease.

By the time the man’s trip was over, he was not only comfortable with the Indian people and their culture, but the personal care and attention they had paid to him had inspired him to go back to his own country and do the same for both visiting foreigners and citizens.

So this is also the way you are to treat those who visit the house of God. They feel like foreigners, and they fear your strange sayings and beliefs. But if from the very first moment they hear a pleasant voice and are made comfortable with the people before you try to share the word of the Lord with them, then they will be willing to listen to your beliefs and may grow to love them as their own. But if you assault them with teachings, beliefs, and words that they do not understand, you will have driven them and all they know away forever.

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