See if you can put yourself in these shoes…

A little boy stepped onto the bus for the first day of school with the wrong shirt on, with the wrong smell, and with the wrong goofy walk.  The others scooted toward the aisle side of their seats so he would find a seat by himself.  A wall is constructed.  The boy is a stranger.  Alienated.

We all know alienation for at some point in our lives we are alienated by others.  We also know what it is like to be the alienator.  To push people away from us because they do not meet our standards.  People are often alienated because of race, class, religion, politics, etc., and the Scriptures teach that the answer to alienation is the church.  As Jesus is killing the hostility brought on by alienation and bringing peace through the cross, thus, the church is to be one in Christ – welcoming the alien and stranger and so becoming agents of shalom (peace) in the city.