According to a study published in December of 2023, brief conversations with strangers can boost happiness. Talking to people we pass on city sidewalks can be a form of hospitality–love of strangers–a virtue our hospitable God both commands and blesses.

We met Fawn when she was barbecuing chicken in her backyard. Chuck took out the trash and commented on how good her dinner smelled. She brought us a generous sample and became a friend.  

One day, as I was about to pull out of my city parking space, the woman who lived across the street rushed to my window saying, “My husband plays basketball with Chuck, so I know you are Christians.”

“To God be the glory if Chuck is a fragrance of Christ on the basketball court,” I thought in the split second before the stranger burst into tears.

“Please pray for me.” I invited her to visit the next day and the stranger became a beloved friend. 

The other night, Chuck and I walked to Turkey Hill to get ice cream for the rhubarb pie I had just pulled from the oven. The woman at the counter was humming along with the background music. I said, “I like a cashier who sings during sales.”

Then, I noticed the lyrics of the song. “It’s praise music!” I exulted. The woman at the other register began to dance like she was dressed in her Sunday best from hat to heels and worshiping at the nearby African Methodist Episcopal Zion church.

Thanks to talking with strangers-turned-sisters, we left Turkey Hill with more than just ice cream.