The Only Hope We Have

There were two guys speaking in Arabic on the train, and one middle aged white guy, looking pretty freaked, standing near them. When the train stopped, he moved quickly away. Because, we have learned we are supposed to be afraid of strangers, especially Arab or Muslim strangers. When he moved away, I swiftly moved closer to hear their story. I found out they were from Saudi Arabia, here only to study English and then go back to finish school. What they said next shook me. “You’re the first American to speak to us in the six months we have been here”.

It made me wonder – what does our fear of strangers, or our isolation from basically everyone, communicate to these two? How does our lack of concern reinforce their myths about us?

Revolutionary love means risking nothing and everything all at once – risking changing the world through simply sitting down and hearing the story of strangers and enemies. This love is not a hopeless endeavor. It’s the only hope we have.

  1. What does our fear of strangers communicate to the world around us?
  2. “Revolutionary love…is the only hope we have.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?

To find out more about Revolutionary Love visit MiddleProject.org or follow #RevLove16

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// CREDITS //
Spoken by J Robert Eagan
Music by soundofpicture.com
Footage by VideoBlocks
Edited by Jim Kast-Keat

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