No Strangers in My World

Attitude Father John Powell is a professor and author at Loyola University in Chicago. In addition to being a best-selling writer, he is also a highly popular lecturer, teacher, and counselor. In his book entitled “Through The Eyes of Faith”, he tells about his prison ministry. About once a month, he visits a prisoner in the state penitentiary.

He describes how difficult that is for him personally... the atmosphere is dismal, dark, depressing... and charged with suspicion. However, on one occasion, Father Powell said he had an enlightening and inspiring experience in that stern and somber prison environment.

An elderly woman was standing beside him as they moved through the visitor line. Together, they went through numerous security checkpoints. They were required to produce identification; they were required to pass through metal detectors; they were led by heavily armed guards through countless doors made of strong steel bars. And through it all, John Powell said he could not help but notice how this sweet, dear woman was smiling warmly toward everyone, waving tenderly to the guards and calling many of them by name, and greeting everyone in a kind and loving way.

John Powell was fascinated with her. She was absolutely radiant. She was a ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air in that sullen place. Suddenly, John Powell said to her, “Gee, I’ll bet you bring a lot of love into this world with your smiling face and words.”

“Father,” she replied, “I decided long ago that there are no strangers in my world. Only brothers and sisters. Some of them I haven’t met yet.” Reflecting on that experience, John Powell wrote this remarkable paragraph.

Listen closely. He said: “That lady drew out of me a deep and warm reaction of love. And gradually I came to realize that people are not one thing, good or bad, but many things.

In every human being there is warmth, love, affection, but there is also hurt, anger, weakness. We stimulate or draw out of them one or the other. It all depends upon our approach, and our approach depends upon our attitude.” And then Father Powell writes these concluding words: “This was the genius of Jesus.

He took people where they were and loved them into life. This is precisely what Jesus did for ... those whose lives He touched. He was a living portrait of love in action. And the caption under the portrait reads: Please love one another as I have loved you.

Yes... this was the genius of Jesus. He took people where they were and loved them into life.”