Perfect Strangers
There was a show I watched in my childhood called “Perfect Strangers”. I remember it revolved around two “strangers” (Larry and Balki) one from America and one from the Greek island of Mypos. As it turned out they were distant cousins and the whole series revolved around trying to fit and in and function in society with different perspectives and different mindsets. The two brothers were related but had very different takes on how to navigate life and all of its twists and turns. Somehow, despite their differences they made it all work.
Have you ever experienced a week of meeting “perfect strangers”? Maybe you wouldn’t call them “perfect” per se but sometimes you have times that you just have to navigate life and all of its ups and downs with strangers.
I wasn’t thinking about Balki Bartokomous as I was walking along the National Mall with my father. I wasn’t thinking about much really, just getting us around and to the Vietnam War Memorial so we could see my uncle’s name etched on the granite wall. We were not exactly fleet of feet on this foggy morning, but it didn’t matter. There were no crowds and no rush to see the solemn reminder of 56,000 lives lost in a conflict that is still hard to explain.
Across the field and towards the Lincoln Memorial we had some observers. They saw us meandering across the mall and make the turn towards ol’ Honest Abe’s perch. As we drew closer, I could tell we were going to get a sales pitch but I wasn’t quite sure as to what!
As we approached, I saw 3 men from South Korea extend a pamphlet towards our hands. It was written by one my favorite authors and had the numbers 3:16 scrawled across the front. These men were evangelists and they arrived in America to tell others of Jesus.
Once we politely listened and explained that we did indeed know of Jesus as well we became fast friends. They were excited to find out my dad was a retired pastor. They were joyful…and then suddenly they became very concerned and proceeded to talk about their home country. They probably felt like they could skip over the evangelism part since we knew their “main thing”!
The men tasked with telling the good news of Jesus were obviously a bit anxious about the news coming from their homeland. Politics. Culture clashes. Disagreements among families, friends, and strangers alike. They didn’t like the way things were developing or going. Things needed to change and quickly! They grew animated and spoke with passion about the current events in South Korea.
My dad and I stood there and listened. We didn’t have answers, but we were all the men had for those few minutes. We were all so different and yet we were together on the National Mall. We were perfect strangers.
A few days later I met another stranger. This was an Amish butcher that was recommended to me to process a deer…and as luck would have it my oldest son got a deer on the last day of rifle season. His phone didn’t answer and the world wide web is useless for a man without a computer so I hauled the deer off and prayed that this mysterious man of God that could make some tasty venison would be in his shop on a Saturday afternoon.
Going off of some directions lodged in my brain I traveled back roads and crept down a dirt lane. I parked next to a horse and buggy which I thought was a good start. After peeking my head into a building, I was met with racks and racks of deer bologna which was confirmation that I was at the correct spot! And soon a man appeared, and we began to chat.
At first it was deer dialogue. But then as we made some small talk I found out what my new friend was concerned about. Just like the South Koreans this was a man of faith but of also a man of concern. There were issues that burned inside of him and a longing to know what I saw in the world. Did I see what he saw? Did I feel what he felt? Culture, politics, family and faith…how did all of this work for this moment of time?
I listened and provided any encouragement I could. We were so different in many ways but at this moment in time we were together for a reason. In that moment of time we were perfect strangers.
At this point I was going to write about my new Amish and South Korean friends. But I met one more stranger that pulled it all together.
As a reward for a hearty workout the boys and I stopped for some drinks at the local 7-eleven. The boys sped inside while I walked a few feet behind them. That caught the attention of a young man sitting in a car and when we made eye contact he rolled his window down.
In a few rapid words he asked if I had two dollars. He also asked if I was married…which I kinda laughed and said happily so! But he wasn’t asking to find out if I was single, he was asking because the source of his pain, discomfort and perhaps hopelessness was due to his marriage!
The poor guy had no credit cards, no cash, no ID, nothing. And he only lived a few miles away but needed some gas. To be honest he needed more than that but he was asking for fuel.
I obliged and after he moved his car over to the gas pump I began to pump some fuel and pump some questions. He continued with his super-fast cadence chatting. He had so. Much. To. Process! He just had to talk but he didn’t know what to do. I heard that a lot. He could talk for days but the answers just weren’t coming and his circumstances were just as dire. We were perfect strangers at this moment of time.
The South Koreans, the Amish butcher, the 20-something young married man all had the same thing going for them. They grieved in their hearts for something different than what they saw with their two eyes. The wanted change and desired to experience a change in our culture and world. Things as they were kinda heavy and disjointed. Have you ever felt that way? I sure have. We have all been there. We sense a need for change in our lives, our culture, our country, or in our circumstances and it’s just not coming. Ugh.
After I filled the tank this young man kept talking and wanted to show me his fishing gear. It was the one thing that he did that brought him peace and was a bit of release from the tension elsewhere in his life.
“Hey have you heard of Jesus?” I asked him? “Yes sir, I have.” He replied. I recalled to him how Jesus sought disciples and found quite a few fishing. It was important for him to keep fishing…not for catching fish but perhaps just to catch a word from God and the peace that He could bring to his spirit. I think Jesus has a lookout for lost fisherman.
We are not immune to anxiety, worry, or concern due to headlines. There are things to fret about. There are always things to rage against, rail against, and grow frustrated about. Relationships can grow strained and we begin to believe that the world has just lost it’s mind. You can be a Christian evangelist, an Amish butcher, a young man, or a middle-aged man typing these words and feet that. None of us are immune to feeling the weight or the world and all of its imperfections.
There’s a comfort in coming across a perfect stranger. When a perfect stranger listens, it means the world. A perfect stranger can encourage without saying much at all. A perfect stranger can show that you are indeed not alone. A perfect stranger is needed in an imperfect world.
Jesus was the perfect stranger to Peter, James, and John. Jesus was the perfect stranger to the crippled, the blind, and the lame. The rejected found acceptance through Him. The wounded became healed and the hopeless believed when they saw Him. Jesus is the original Perfect Stranger. He is sovereign. He is perfect when none of us could, or can be.
There are times that all of us need a stranger to be with us and share the right words at the right time. Or the right action in the right posture. And there are times that we fill that need for others. God places us in the lives of others despite politics, culture wars, and general unrest in the world. He is the Perfect Stranger pulling us together and His timing is perfect, His works are complete, and He calls us to Him to make a difference in this crazy world. The Perfect Stranger is calling.
