Alone, A Stranger in a Strange Place in the Night

[HKHaugan]

It was Summer 1963. I was in Summer School in Oslo, Norway. I hitchhiked to a little town called Rauland. It had a population of about 500. The reason I went was because of the annual Harding Fiddle (Norw.---Hardingfele) Festival there. It centered on an instrument unique to Norway about the size of a viola. It’s uniqueness? The neck of the fiddle is fretted like a guitar. Also it has four strings underneath the others that resound with the strings above when their pitch coincides. Its sounds are reminiscent of bagpipes. One spelemann (fiddler) after another was amazing. I'd never heard those sounds before.

At first I figured I could return to school by late night if cars were headed back to Oslo. But I was so enamored with the sounds and the people I lost track of time and found it was too late to get on the road. Several people were standing next to me who lived in the town. I had been talking to them for some time. When I realized the late hour I expressed my concern about getting back. One of them without hesitation turned to me and said, “Don’t worry, tonight you will stay in the house of my father.” No question in his mind. He directed me there where I met his mother. He told her my plight and she was delighted to have me stay. The next morning I had a typical Norwegian breakfast and they encouraged me to stay and enjoy the rest of the festival. They were completely open and welcoming. I never forgot that experience. It was one that would years later illustrate a most important biblical insight I would embrace.

That distant night in Norway would come to be translated spiritually after I had accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord.. In the darkness of this world it would be one Person offering me a relationship that brought me back to my Father in Heaven. It is a life that remolds the one with which we were born with a spiritual perspective and a relational recovery that effects and helps the lives of others. Instead of living for myself and what I can get out of this world, it became more important to live following Him as He led me to open my mind to what He could do for others as well as myself. As my mind opened so my heart and spirit opened with it. It didn't happen all at once for me like it does in some others. But, as I have discovered, it wasn't supposed to because of the uniqueness with which we all have been made. I am still working out my salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

Let me explain that transference from a world mind to a spiritual mind seen in that lonely Norwegian night. It can be seen in three connected realities---trust, faith and relationship.

First, I trusted to share my situation. I was alone; a stranger in a strange place and it was night. That someone I trusted was a local son sensing my need. He extended an invitation to his father’s house. I put my trust in him and the invitation. When I arrived there I was greeted warmly because the son had already accepted me. His acceptance gave me unhesitating entrance into his father’s house. “In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you that where I am you may be also (John 14:2).”

Second, I actually stepped out in faith. I had no idea that I would be offered a place to stay much less be accepted so completely. It brought to mind exactly what Paul was saying Jesus had done through His death and Resurrection. “Come unto me all who are heavy with aloneness and the problems of this world and I will give you rest (Mt.11:28).” Faith brings us life, relational life, spiritual life that can be experienced now.

Third, faith opens us to relationships on the deepest heart level. Faith says that any friend of Jesus is a friend of the Father, the beginning of real life. The Father gladly welcomes anyone who has accepted Jesus and trusts to follow Him. Jesus is saying to each of us who trust Him that when He brings us to the Father the Father will say, “Any friend of Jesus is a friend of mine. Come on in and enjoy our home.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:1).”

Remember that biblical insight I mentioned earlier? It's called justification by faith. Most people spend their lives trying to justify their beliefs and their behavior when in fact no one can justify themselves. Only our Creator can. We get lost in things we are passionate about; our jobs, our dreams, our talents, our expectations and also our failures. It's not until we face ourselves spiritually that any progress is made. Compare what we give our time and talents to. Are they working for us? Consider this Scripture about Jesus, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Rom.4:25-5:2).” Only faith can do this. We have been restored to God and one another by our Father through His Son Jesus' death and Resurrection. It's when life begins for each of us.