“Having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews "11":13
What does it mean to be a stranger and a pilgrim? Let me use an illustration. During my stay in England shortly before the Munich crisis, I noticed people preparing for war by digging trenches, preparing shelters, and distributing masks for poisonous gas. My feelings at that time were entirely different from those of the Englishmen. I watched them prepare for war until the news came that a pact had been signed. Many could not sleep that night. They sang, and they shouted.<br/><br/>But what was my reaction? I watched unmoved. While they had been busily preparing for war, I had watched coldly; now, when they rejoiced over peace, I still watched coldly. I was a sojourner. I would soon go away. In their joy and in their sorrow, I was merely an observer. So it was that I realized what it means to be an alien. My attitude toward England was neutral. I hoped for her good; I wished her peace; but my interests lay elsewhere.