Stranger Danger was something I actively taught my children. I instructed them “Don’t take candy from a strangers”, “Don’t get into a car with strangers” etc. I even role played this for them, I would dress up in a trench coat (I read too many Mad Magazines as a child and my children know Darth Vader). I would approach them with candy and try to lure them into my car. They learned to yell “NO!” and runaway. Now, I know most predators’ don’t wear trench coats any more but I was trying to teach them a skill set of “what if” situational responses.”

When our son Caleb was somewhere between four and five years of age we had a scary incident. We had taken a youth group for spring break to Laguna Beach Christian Camp in Panama City Florida. All of our youth had gone out early on the beach and divided into small group to go through their morning Bible studies. One of the groups had asked us if they could take Caleb with them and make them a part of their team. Our son’s have always enjoyed hanging out with the older students. We let Caleb go with them. About an hour later a elderly coupled pulled into our camp, as their car rolled to a stop the back door opened and out jumped Caleb waving goodbye to them. I asked the couple what was going on? They said, they were driving down the road when they saw this small child walking backwards  with his hand up in the air and thumb extended in the well known “hitchhiker pose.” We were concerned about this child on the side of the road so well pulled over and he said, he need a ride to the camp.  I thank the couple for taking care of him.

Pulling Caleb aside I asked, “What were you thinking getting into a car with some strangers”. He assured me that he had interviewed them and they had grandchildren of their own. Then he wanted me to know that he had never hitched hiked before and wanted to experience what it was like.

So much role playing Stranger Dangers.

 What is funny? This generation who have been taught not to get into car with strangers are now holding up their hand with cell phone tightly clasped waiting for a stranger come and picks them up. They call it Uber, which is nothing but trying to find a stranger who driving around the middle of the night to come and pick you up. Then there is Grub Hub where you call a stranger to go pick up food for you and bring it to your house. And then there Airbnb where if your roommate is gone for the night, you can rent out their room to a … stranger.

On my last trip to the Middle East, guess how I got around? I had an app on my phone where I found a stranger who would pick me up and take me to a stranger home. The direction to get into the strangers house was to go up to the second floor, lean out the window, there you will see a pipe running out of an air conditioner, there  will be rock sitting on top of the pipe, pick up rock and your key will be there. Our flight was delayed and we found ourselves at 4:30 in the morning getting out of a stranger’s car walking into a dark apartment building climbing up two flights of stairs leaning out of a window looking for the key under the rock. Guess what? We found it and the apartment was very nice.

I have been thinking about renting my two boys room out since they are married and gone. If they call and said, “Dad, guess what? We are coming home for Christmas.” I am afraid I might have to tell them that I have their room rented out to a nice couple from China during those dates. But I know a good website that have strangers renting out their room.

One of the distinctives of the Christian life is our treatment of strangers and those who are in need. I went to visit a good friend of mine. As I entered the house, I was introduced to a stranger. It was a lady whose home was destroyed in the floods that we had in Tulsa this year. They went and got the lady and move her into their home. They helped her to find and fix up and move into another little house. They only difference is that did so at no cost to the lady in need. That reminds me of what the scriptures says:

 “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;” Matthew 25:35

As you teach your children Stranger Danger, do let them be a stranger to the one who was born in a manger.