Jewish and Christian religions both embrace that bit about “the stranger” or “foreigner” within your community written of in the commandments. It’s repeated – and repeated – and even enshrined as part of the Seder service, which commemorates leaving Egypt, remembering that once the Jews were foreigners in a strange land, and slaves.
I took the title from the Hebrew words of that phrase – which I’ve heard read beautifully. Even though I’m not Jewish, I can see clearly the point: none of us came from here, we’re all guests. Guests on the planet, guests on the land, guests in our communities. We are, frankly, terrible guests. We could do better.
