Our scriptures remind us that God’s face can turn up anywhere – even on the other side of the lines we draw to protect ourselves from the unknown, from those who are different: in the face of the Syrophoenician woman, in the refugee woman with 6 children from Syria or Eritrea, or in any of the other faces that turn toward us seeking help, or care, or relationship with us. The call of God is insistent, and pushes us outside of our self-imposed boundaries – inviting us to be the first to extend a hand of welcome, to try new things, to change our minds, to take a risk. And by doing so, we may find ourselves blessed beyond measure.