A Stranger
By Marieke Bakker
Being a stranger in an unfamiliar country isn't easy. I can tell you this from personal experience. And I'm not alone. Here in South Africa, there are millions of strangers…
When I visit the neighborhoods, I meet many undocumented immigrants. The situation in their home countries is dire, and they hope for a better life in South Africa. Many undocumented immigrants come from neighboring countries like Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique. It was difficult for me to leave my "home country." But it's even harder for these people. They are not welcome here. The locals see them as a threat because they can take their jobs. And that's understandable. Around 32% of the population is unemployed, that's 8.2 million people! In addition to these 8.2 million people, there are also millions of undocumented immigrants looking for work. This creates a disrupted society. Millions of young people wander aimlessly on the streets with little prospect of improvement.
Neighborhood visits
I've often encountered such illegal immigrants during my neighborhood visits. Recently, for example, I met a ten-year-old boy. He came with his parents. This boy had no choice. He had never been to school. He couldn't read or write. He'll probably never be able to read the Bible for himself. I also regularly visit an eighteen year old girl who got pregnant at a young age. Her boyfriend disappeared, and she is here in South Africa with only her mother. When I visit her, she wraps her arms around me. She has no friends and stays home alone with her child.
Restless
They are not at home here in South Africa. They're often looked down upon. They try to survive just to get something to eat. And if they can earn something, they have family back home who desperately need the money. I feel sorry for these people, even though they're here illegally.
Yet something about their situation is familiar to me. The feeling of being a wanderer on this earth, restless and not feeling at home anywhere. Journeying to a place they've never been. Like Abraham, like the life of a Christian. The wandering life is the result of feeling the separation caused by sin and the sorrow after God.
Real rest
Then I may ask these undocumented immigrants if they also feel like a spiritual stranger in this world, and if they have been made seekers of God. And I ask them if they know what Augustine so aptly described, ‘Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee."
