Strangers at My Door: A True Story of Finding Jesus in Unexpected Guests

Wilson-Hartgrove (The Awakening of Hope), a leader in the New Monasticism movement, and his wife, Leah, are the founders of Rutba House, a Christian community in the Walltown neighborhood of Durham, NC. There, they practice radical hospitality, taking very seriously the words of Jesus in Matthew's gospel: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." This volume is a collection of stories and reflections on this shared life. What sets this ministry apart is the way in which the Wilson-Hartgroves actively shun the typical imperialistic narrative of the privileged who give food, money, and religion to the needy from a safe and comfortable distance. Here, it works in reverse. As the author and his wife immerse themselves in the life of the neighborhood and participate in the joys and sufferings of its people, they believe that Jesus shows up in the midst of them, frequently in the form of the homeless, addicted, and imprisoned. Throughout, the book allows room for complexity as it touches on race, class, poverty, addiction, criminal justice, and the history of place.