Loving The Stranger: Refusing to Turn A Blind Eye to Opposition

QUICK GLANCE: FOR YOUR HEART TODAY
Following Christ means refusing to turn a blind eye to oppression.
Acts 16 shows us Paul and Silas being exploited, beaten, and imprisoned because systems of power valued profit over people. Yet, instead of walking away quietly when freed, they demanded accountability — not for themselves alone, but for the sake of the community.
This is our call as disciples:
To see injustice.
To refuse silence.
To stand with the oppressed.
To use whatever privilege we have for love, justice, and liberation — just as Christ laid down His life for us.

3 TAKEAWAYS
 1. Refuse to Look Away
The Gospel compels us to confront injustice — not ignore it. We do not turn our eyes away when the vulnerable are exploited or harmed.
(Acts 16:16–24; Isaiah 58)

2. Love With More Than Words
Scripture calls us to love not just in speech, but in action and truth. Love shows up in solidarity, presence, sacrifice, and repair.
(1 John 3:16–18; John 13:34–35)

3. Steward Privilege for Freedom, Not Comfort
Where we have influence, access, or voice — we use it to advocate, protect, and repair. Like Paul, we do not quietly accept injustice.
(Acts 16:37–39)

BREATH PRAYER
Inhale: You welcomed me in…
Exhale: Teach me to welcome others.

SERMON SUMMARY

Paul’s and Silas’ story in Philippi reminds us that even in our darkest places, God’s power can turn pain into praise and bondage into breakthrough. What begins with injustice — two innocent men beaten and chained — becomes a stage for divine freedom. Their worship at midnight wasn’t about circumstance; it was about confidence in the God who sees, hears, and delivers.

When the earthquake came, it didn’t just open prison doors — it opened hearts. The jailer, once their oppressor, became their brother in Christ. This moment shows that God’s deliverance is not only physical but spiritual. True freedom comes when we encounter Jesus and believe.

In the end, Paul’s and Silas’ courage demanded accountability from the authorities, showing that faith also stands for justice. Through praise, perseverance, and purpose, God transformed a prison cell into a sanctuary, and suffering into salvation.

In the message “Learning to Love the Stranger,” Reverend Dominique Gilliard reflects on how faith calls us to see and stand with those society overlooks. Drawing from Acts 16:16–40, Isaiah 58:1–12, and Romans 8:17, the sermon examines how Paul and Silas were treated as outsiders — “These men are Jews” — and how their response modeled true discipleship and solidarity.

Through insights from Willie Jennings and Bryan Stevenson, Gilliard exposes how laws and systems can be distorted to uphold injustice, much like the loophole in the 13th Amendment that perpetuates racial inequity.

The Black Faith Matters program at North Park Theological Seminary embodies this message, bringing together incarcerated and free students to learn side by side — an act of redemptive love and shared humanity.

Gilliard challenges believers to refuse to turn a blind eye to oppression, to love the stranger, and to enter into the suffering of others as Christ did in John 13. True faith, he reminds us, is not comfortable — it’s courageous. It stands in solidarity with those the world rejects and works toward freedom for all God’s children