The story of entertaining angels points to a God who shows up in all bodies, especially in the unlikely ones. Jesus taught that when his disciples cared for the most vulnerable, they were caring for him. Likewise, this passage calls us to pay attention to the marginalized, as well as to the leaders. But what if the marginalized are our leaders? What if we looked to those in prison as teachers on grace? What if immigrants detained at the border or arrested in front of their children are the ones to teach us about liberation? What if those who suffer because of current laws are the ones to teach us about collective power that brings real change?
Strangers first taught me about the power of stories, organizing, and justice. While in seminary, I attended a meeting where undocumented Mexican women on strike from a tortilla factory shared the details of injustice in their workplace—low wages, no benefits, seniority structures ignored. Their raised sleeves displayed burns caused by operating machines without adequate safety equipment. I visited them later on the picket line, and we huddled around a heater in a blanket tent, sipping steaming hot chocolate. We stood outside in the snow, chanting, then praying. One woman was so moved by the Spirit that she fell on the frozen ground, flakes collecting on her back. These women were my first teachers in the immigrant rights movement. They are still my leaders.
Mutual love requires holding space for others to be fully who they are and to make effort to be fully who we are. It means acknowledging privilege and allowing Jesus to show up and lead us through the unlikeliest people. Is not this our Christian vocation?