Welcome Stranger

[Zondrae]

I guess this is my Christmas Poem.


Welcome stranger.
© Zondrae King (Corrimal) 12/06

If a stranger came and knocked hard on your door quite late one night
politely asking you if you had a bed
for his wife who was real weary. They were travelers you see
and looking for a place to lay their head.

Their family name is David. They were from the Middle East,
the woman had a veil on her head.
He looked much older than his wife. She looked like just a girl.
I’m sure she’d followed, silent, as he led.

Then on close examination you can see she is ‘with child’
a further complication you don’t need.
Would you ask them in and sit them down and make a cup of tea
or maybe even offer them a feed?

And what if their transportation was a rusty beat up van
with large suspicious bundles in the back.
Do you think you’d close your door to them and bid them “bugger off”
then mumbling “flamin’ migrants” hit the sack?

I wonder would your dreams be filled with stories you have heard,
a census long ago in distant lands
when another Middle Eastern couple sheltered in a barn.
Their baby was delivered to their hands.

No movement sensor halogen to guide them on their way.
A star drew near to lend a little light.
While Angles sang some scholars came with tribute for the child
and time is counted from that blessed night.

In this our modern, busy world we occupy our time
amassing stuff we seldom wish to share.
Our leaders plant suspicion in us with their stern advice.
We’re told don’t be alarmed but be aware.

What if religion or their dress were different than ours!
Forget about the colour of their skin!
We all live under heaven and we all should thank our God
the things that are important are within.

Do we Australians offer homes to people in their need
and do you welcome strangers passing by?
Do you try hard to lend a hand and make them feel at home.
So now I have to ask myself, do I?

[Terry]

Hi Zondrae,
For a moment there I thought you had written about a giant gold nugget found in Victoria in the early days, That's right 'The Welcome Stranger' The worlds largest nugget.
In answer to your question, I think most Australians being what we are would offer whatever help we could regardless of the circumstances - or at least I hope we would.

Cheers Terry

[Zondrae]

Thanks for the reply Terry,

I think you are right. Most of us, I like to think, would respond kindly to a family in need, specially if on a one to one basis. However when we are faced with a boatload, I think if feels rather more like a threat of invasion, than an appeal for kindness.

[Neville Briggs]

Good point Zondrae. probably depends on where you live, stranded travellers might get a better go out in the country than in a city. I don't know.

Sorry to be picky but it's funny how this myth about Mary and Joseph being turned away from accommodation has grown up when there is no mention of any such thing in the biblical record.

But it's a very thoughtful piece Zondrae, gave me something to think about.


Neville

[Zondrae]

I begin this by saying I am a practising Catholic and I hope no one will hold that against me. I regularly attend Mass.

I still, by intellect, think that 80% of the stories in the Bible are folk tales which have been told over and over down the generations until they were eventually written and collected on scrolls which were sorted and selected by the Church in Nicea (? the origin of the Nicene creed we use today) to form the Bible. The New Testament itself has been manicured many times and trimmed to suit the Church of the time. Even in my lifetime I have seen so many changes in the Church.

The basic truth has never changed. If we like to romanticise a particular event to make it more appealing, so be it.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Oh well the people who wrote the Bible might have been the original Bush Poets of the age. They took a bit of a yarn, embellished it, put in the words to paint the visual picture, edited it, polished it and every now and then went back and edited it a bit, Not all bad eh?

And I love your poem Zondrae it has the true meaning of welcome stranger - after all there is a saying that friends are only strangers we haven't met and I find that is often true in life. I think most Aussies will always help out as and where they can. We should make our own decisions about people not be swayed by what we read in the papers which after all are just other peoples thoughts. We are after all citizens of the world and as such each and every person is our neighbour.

Cheers

Maureen

[Dave Smith]

Zondrae
This poem is a bit deep hey.
We Australians have been brought up with a free and easy spirit with the capacity to help others,
But most of us are getting a bit ticked off with the presumption of people who think they can just barge in uninvited and then complain that the are not being treated how they would like. Aussies will always help but it must be offered,

Dave Smith.

[william williams]

an old bush sayingis If I offer you my right hand never bite it for you will never get offered the other one

Bill W

[Maureen K Clifford]

Yes that about sums it up Bill...treat everybody you meet as a person worthy of your friendship, help and respect until they prove otherwise. But if they prove otherwise and sadly some do - well sorry Sunshine you are on your own , and you are off my Christmas list. Such is life.

Cheers

Maureen

[Bellobazza]

G'day Zondrae...
You've said it well. We pay lip service to being a land of 'Christian' ideals and values, but are we really as open minded and 'fair go' as we like to think?

My parents were 'boat people'...strangers in a strange land. Not everyone was welcoming and accepting....called them 'bloody Poms' among other things.

Lucky for me, they found their way; even became 'ozzified' over the years. Raised a large family, all born and bred here...otherwise, I might have been a 'Pom' myself! (shudder )

Cheers, Will.