Faith Kasor | August 11, 2024

Few years ago, I went to a certain store regularly on Fridays to window shop and talk to strangers…yes strangers because I was new in the area. I will get engaged in a conversation with the salesperson or other shoppers to talk about products or weather. One day I met a jewelry sales lady who was lonely and wanted to talk to someone too. I realized she had just moved from the Midwest, and she did not have family in Connecticut like me. I was new in the community too; I have just moved from Minnesota, I guess we both had something in common. I spend my entire time talking to the lady. She would ask me to stay around if she had another customer to continue our conversation. However, it was few days to Thanksgiving, I invited the woman to join me and my sons for Thanksgiving dinner. The woman was incredibly happy and accepted my invitation. This behavior was normal in the community I grew up in to invite strangers to eat with you.

I was born in Liberia, West Africa. I grew up in a diverse culture where no one was a stranger. There are so many stigmas and discrimination living in the American society where status and race matter, we overlook talents and gifts from those who look different from us. Where is our culture and values to help our neighbors with food and show kindness? There are so many hungry people in our community, spiritually broken and cannot afford three meals a day.

My sons are first generation born Americans in my family. They do not understand my perception of “no one is a stranger.” At the time, my sons were living on college campus when I invited the lady home for Thanksgiving dinner. They could not fathom the invitation for a stranger to come to our home for dinner. They were surprised… but not surprised. Culturally in Liberia we called our elders aunties and uncles, they do not have to be your blood relatives. One day my kids ask me which one is our biological relative…. I laugh! and responded, “they are all family.”

I saw my mother helping strangers and giving food to the less fortunate in the neighborhood I grew up in. We did not have food pantries or a place to get free food; but people share with each other the little they have. We have an old ritual for doing good in Liberia that states “God will bless you”! This is a common saying in Liberia. I learned kindness from my mother who taught me compassion and empathy toward others and the importance to share, welcome and feed those who do not look like us. This is all because my mother was a social worker and her passion for helping other inspired me to become a social worker to advocate and make nobody feel like a stranger.

The world has surplus food yet there are 783 million hungry people in the world one in eight Connecticut residents experienced food insecurity in 2022. The number of people considered food insecure rose by 90.000 to 470.000 in Connecticut. Food insecurity defined by US Agriculture Department “is not having enough food to eat and not knowing what the next meal will come from.”

Hunger is complicated and it is just not empty stomach or no food, it can impact the mental health of people. About 1 in 10 people go to bed hungry in the world every night. Hunger affects everyone, people living in developed world also have extreme poverty and lack of nutritional food. According to World Hunger facts, there is enough food in the world to feed everyone, yet people are lack of food.

Even God want us to eat to be able to serve him and do his work. From the Old Testament 1 Kings 19:4-8:

Elijah went on a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a baked bread on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

Nobody should be a stranger or sleep hungry. We live the greatest country in the world where business and individual waste or throw food away daily. You do not have to be like me, but you can help a stranger and give them food to eat without any bias’s, condemnation or criticism. Get familiar with people stories and know who they are – share spiritual food and Physical food to help someone overcome their struggles.

The woman I invited came to my home and had Thanksgiving dinner with us, I got to know her story and her struggles. She was going through personal problems with her health and family issues. She was not hungry, but she needed spiritual food to fill her soul and I listen to her with physical food to nourish her soul to begin her new journey in Connecticut.

Are you willing to help a stranger or invite your neighbors to eat with you? Be a blessing to someone by making a sandwich or volunteering to feed the poor in your community. Be like the angel who woke Elijah up to eat because there was food for Elijah to eat to give him strength to continue his journey.

Liberia has a rich history and culture, and the people are truly kind with good hospitality. Liberians likes to celebrate, with tasty food and drinks. Nobody is a stranger in Liberia despite the poverty and the disagreements. Food will bring Liberians together especially our famous West African cuisine called Jollof rice.

Liberians celebrates their culture with jubilee and food. Rice is a Liberian stable food. Jollof rice is serve on every occasion including wedding, holidays, funerals and birthdays… just name it. It symbolized success and happiness. Jollof rice is a rich West African dish, but it is prepared with different spices based on the region.

West Africans are having a debate about which country have the best Jollof rice…I am proud to say Liberia has the best Jollof rice in West Africa. Please look in Trinity E-News for the recipe of Jollof rice. I just learned that there is Jollof rice sushi served in West Africa now…I was not surprised because my people are highly creative and have great ideals for tasty foods.

Everyone shares food in Liberia with strangers and the poor even if they did not have enough. It is the kindness of people that takes care of the poor and gave them strength to continue their daily journey.

I was fortunate that my parents always had enough food to share with stranger and our neighbors. I grew up with the passion of sharing and doing good for humanity and to never be afraid to do good for anyone because we are all on an assignment for God.

Remember, there is no stranger!

·      Feed and help the poor.

·      Love your neighbors as yourself.

·      Help others if you can.

·      Be kind and share without season.

I will leave you with Prayer from Matthew 25:35

For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a Stranger and you welcomed me. Amen.