Angels Unaware

A number of years ago, I heard of a Christian college professor adding an interesting question to the final exam. Don’t know if the story is true. He wanted the students to tell him the name of the woman cleaner at the school. Interesting question. And as you, I began thinking, there are lots of ethical questions to answer.
Last week I had opportunity to be that caretaker. Knowing a church here in the city that needed some help with the landscape, I just showed up early one morning and started to trim some hedges and clean up winter leaves. I know, its July but . . . Anyway, I worked for almost two hours right by the ramp off of the street.
The church has a very busy daycare with a good number of children. I arrived just as the parents began to arrive with the children. I would say that over the two hours there must have been about fifty cars come and go. They drove anything from a fifteen-year-old Acura, ten year old Ford Taurus wagon to a near new Nissan race car. A wide variety of people I might add. There were some young moms with little ones. Other parents came with three year olds arriving with their shiny pink training wheeled bike. Then there were the older five year olds who already think they have arrived, being dragged in. What’s that, learned behaviour.
Over that whole time I would nod or give a glance, smile and acknowledge their arrival and many departures. Now, this is not strange but it is sobering. Only one person acknowledged my nod or smile. Only one. But I have to admit. One person almost did and one other, the fellow in the race car, gave a half nod. The young dude in the SUV not only nodded but even waved both on the way in and on his way out.
Not that I am putting myself out as better then any of them but aren’t we all human. None knew me as a minister but just as a caretaker. Did I not deserve a nod, a glance, something to acknowledge me as a human walking the same roads as them? I may have dirt on my hands and under my nail but people, I have not changed a dirty diaper in decades . . .
I think all of us, and I mean you, need to reread Hebrews 13:1-2. Never mind looking it up, here it is. “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
Next week as I return to help out at the church, I will again, nod, smile and acknowledge their comings and goings. Who know, one of them will be an angel to me.
Something to think about
Rob