Knowing God through Welcoming the Stranger (Mark Glanville)

The Old Testament, especially Deuteronomy, repeatedly entreats the Israelites to welcome the stranger. The Israelites were required to love the stranger because God loves the stranger. In the gospels, Jesus practices this teaching continually, forming a makeshift family from the vulnerable around him. The church should likewise adopt the stranger and the vulnerable as family, because this is God’s design for humanity.

Mark Glanville, pastor and professor of pastoral theology, discusses the biblical ethic of welcoming refugees; his involvement in Kinbrace, a Canadian nonprofit that provides refugee housing and support; and how welcoming those on the margins can shape our view of Scripture and the world.