BY LAUREL LAFAUT Christian family has garage suite for rent. One-bedroom loft, suitable for single working person. Utilities and laundry available.
The ad sounded wonderful. Renting from a Christian landlord seemed like a good way to transition from homeowner to tenant. Mr. Landlord’s brother was a pastor; Mrs. Landlord’s brother was a pastor. My tenancy would certainly be a good fit: I’d be surrounded by Christians!
I was promised a home that was both quiet and private. I was promised a fair rent that included heat, gas, cable television, and Internet access. I was promised a parking space for myself and my visitors. I was promised a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
When I moved in, however, I realized that the label “Christian” didn’t mean what I thought it meant.
On moving day I noticed that the private grassed area in front of the little coach house had been converted into a gravel parking lot of sorts, replete with an old Volkswagen Beetle and four large diesel trucks. My serenity was shattered by diesel engines roaring by my doorstep at all hours of the day and night. I had to live without sunlight when an ongoing parade of inquisitive onlookers forced me to keep my curtains shut.
I soon learned what “welcoming” meant from the landlord’s perspective. I asked the landlady what to do with my household garbage. She told me that tenants are not supplied with a garbage can. When I weakly protested, she grumbled and said she didn’t want to pay extra for another container and instructed me to put my garbage in with theirs. Disapproving eyes followed me whenever I took something to the bin for disposal. Cardboard boxes I had used for moving went to the recycle depot at the other end of town.
The promised Internet access was inaccessible. The landlord insisted something was wrong with my computer. After several weeks of discussion, checking the functionality of my computer, and trying various methods to access the Internet, I phoned the landlady and said that I had to be able to use the Internet for my university studies. She became angry and emphatically stated that she would not pay extra to provide a tenant with Internet access. When I reminded her that Internet access was included in the rent, she replied that I was being difficult. She told me to phone her husband and abruptly hung up.
My car was parked in a mud hole at the back of the property with no provision for visitor parking. My mail was tossed unceremoniously at my front door, unprotected from the wind or the rain. My landlords either turned their backs or glowered when they saw me. Their children ignored me. I was a person of lesser stature, a lowly tenant. I was miserable.
Single Woman Seeking
Several weeks and many prayers later, I decided to search for other accommodations. The last thing I wanted was to move; I had been in the garage suite for a mere three weeks. But after hours of prayer and days of searching, I found this promising ad:
Bachelor cottage, 600 square feet, separate full bath, gas fireplace, gas stove and fridge, private driveway to cottage, beautiful setting with a covered sundeck and yard overlooking pond and covered bridge. Suits single, working individual who enjoys quiet country setting minutes from freeway. Available immediately.
When I responded to the ad, the owner of the property said that the cottage was very close to the university I would be attending. She also said that her two daughters were enrolled in a Christian school. Oh, I thought, another Christian landlord. Dare I venture forth?
1. We all know the horror stories. But when have you been captivated by the gentle kindness of a thoughtful Christian? Recall it briefly.
2. Christians are often lampooned in the media as being intolerant and boorish. Is this an accurate depiction? If not, what can be done to reverse it?
3. What can we learn from the life and ministry of Jesus about dealing with others? In what practical ways can His example be lived in our own lives? 4. What have you done this week to expose someone to the kindess, love, and grace of Christ?
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The building was tiny—only one room—but it was everything the ad said it was. There was another tenant, a young Mennonite woman who held Bible studies in a carriage house suite on the property.
Oh no; two sets of Christians.
I prayed silently. Surely the Lord would have mercy on me and not lead me to another abusive Christian. I took a step of faith and handed the woman a deposit. She smiled happily and said she had been praying for a female Christian tenant.
Soon after I moved in, my new landlady came by the cottage to share some blueberries. I mentioned it would be nice if I could put a freezer on the porch, and she immediately provided an outdoor electrical receptacle. She even gave me my own garbage can! When the weather turned uncomfortably hot, she insisted that I use their swimming pool. Praise God for Christians who behave like Christ!
Mahatma Gandhi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” It’s a shame that some Christians tarnish the reputation of the body of Christ.
The apostle Paul wrote that we are to “contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers” (Rom. 12:13);* and be “an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).
Does Christ’s light shine through us and attract others to Him?
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* Bible texts in this article are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.
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Laurel Lafaut writes from Langley, British Columbia, Canada. This article was published January 27, 2011.
