at CMS today we had the privilege of meeting dr anthony gittins who has done a lot of theological reflection on the stranger. i must get his book. here’s a few notes I jotted from his presentation…

In an increasingly multicultural world isn’t it time to stop thinking of ourselves at the centre and realise we might just be marginal or irrelevant? So let’s start by thinking of ourselves as the other rather than the other as the other. What advantage would this displacement give us theologically and missiologically?

Matt 25 sheep and goats story has a passage which describes Jesus as a stranger. We have taken that to mean we should be kind to the stranger rather than become one.

Luke 24 Emmaus road story. At heart of the story Jesus presents himself as the outsider, the marginal, the stranger. In other words Jesus accomplishes something as a stranger that they couldn’t get on their own.

In what way can a missionary be the stranger? not in the centre and no longer in charge? There is a dangerous assumption that the missionary should become assimilated or at the centre. Maybe this is flawed thinking! Sometimes when a missionary feels a stranger they try and overcome that and flip into a controlling mechanism.

The purpose of the Christian life is a kenotic(?) one – Philippians – an emptying of myself that I might be filled up.

The sociology of the stranger.

1. The stranger is never self defined. He/she is always defined by the host who in fact determines how the stranger will be treated.

2. The stranger is acutely ambiguous. The stranger must learn to live with ambiguity. As soon as the stranger can’t live with ambiguity and tries to control things they become irritating to the host. Many of us who are highly trained find it difficult to be appropriate strangers and live with this vulnerability. In many languages the word for stranger is the same as guest. We can easily get confused. We are OK with being a guest but not so comfortable with being the stranger.

In anthropological literature, the stranger is the person who is on the very evry edge of somebody else’s life. They stand to gain a lot from them if they are a resourceful person. But they stand to lose a lot if they look nice but have a hidden agenda/gun/knife. So scrutinising the stranger is very important before inviting him/her across the threshold.

Three phases of the process…

a) preliminary – before you get to the edge

Very short lived. Lots of cultures have proverbs about strangers smelling sweet on the first day, but it doesn’t last long. A few days later they want to know if you are willing to reciprocate and play your part.

b) the edge – limin

You are neither in or out. It’s predictable unpredictability. You think you are beginning to learn but you keep falling flat on your face. It brings you to your knees emotionally, physically and in every way. You have no idea what to do. The people who were there for you before are no longer there. The local community are still checking you out wondering when will this stranger let go control and ask for help? (move from control to mutuality). Maybe living in a state of mutual indebtedness is one of the great fruits of this liminal phase.

c) post liminal/incorporation – still an outsider but no longer a stranger (aside – we need to accept that we will never become an authentic insider)

This is the stage of being an outsider participant – the best possible thing a stranger can be (An outsider non participant is only a tourist).

What is the advantage then of the stranger?

a) for the stranger?

b) for the host community?

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