A Reflection from Pandora's Deed--Lessons we can learn from Strangers!

Oct 1

4 min read

On Monday, I checked off my bucket list a visit to Chicago’s Navy Pier. I’ve been to the city before, but somehow left without making it to the pier. This time, I made it my purpose.

Navy Pier has long been on my heart. I first went to Chicago during college, when I was researching the Great Fire and the “White City” for a paper. At the time, I dreamed of becoming an architect, and Chicago felt like the ultimate classroom to study our nation’s architectural visionaries. That dream eventually faded, but the memories of that trip have stayed etched in my mind.

One of those visionaries was Daniel Burnham, who famously said, “The lakefront by right belongs to the people… it should be made so alluring that it will become the fixed habit of the people to seek its restful presence at every opportunity.” When I stood at Navy Pier this weekend, I thought of those words. Burnham imagined a place where beauty, rest, and community would meet. More than a century later, that dream is still alive. Definitely check out its history! https://www.100yearsofpier.com/

That vision of beauty and rest is one of the reasons I chose Navy Pier as a setting in Pandora’s Deed. The novel follows Savannah Barrett, a young woman weighed down by her past and her reputation as “Pandora.” When her great-grandfather Frank McMillan enters her life, he sets her on a scavenger hunt designed to trace her family’s history and uncover the truth she’s been running from. Frank asks Savannah to retrace his steps to the pier, where he had his own moment of redemption, in the hopes that she’ll experience hers.

Savannah doesn’t make an instantaneous transformation at the Pier. In fact, she stumbles again not long after, making a devastating mistake that forces her to face hard consequences when she finally returns home. But the seed of redemption is planted in that moment by a young foster child named Kim.

Rebellious and afraid, Kim is convinced she is “too much trouble” to be loved. As Savannah sits on the Ferris wheel, high above Lake Michigan with this stranger, she sees the girl she once was, desperate to belong yet pushing others away. Savannah finds herself speaking words she still needs to hear: that regret is heavier than the burden of an imperfect family, and that shutting people out only deepens the loneliness.

Savannah walks away with a shift in perspective. For the first time in years, Savannah begins to see her life not just as a series of failures, but as a story still open to redemption.

The irony is that as I left Chicago on an Amtrak train to Normal, IL, I had a similar experience. A sweet college student slipped into the seat next to me. He was unfailingly polite, even asking permission before sitting down. We had a pleasant conversation about school and life, but he most impressed me as we prepared to leave the train. I watched him offer, not once but several times, to help different passengers with their luggage, an exemplary demonstration of kindness. I realized that, even though I consider myself a nice person, I could make a conscious effort to be much kinder to strangers. There are people all around me who struggle with everyday tasks. Having a mindful awareness to reach out and help them could make a difference in sharing my faith.

It struck me that God often uses brief encounters with strangers and unexpected gestures to plant seeds of grace in our lives. Just like Savannah’s ride on the Ferris wheel, those moments don’t instantly fix everything, but they shift our vision. Sometimes they reveal our weaknesses, but those weaknesses often translate into possibilities.

And that thought convicted me!

Hebrews 13:2 tells us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Every encounter with every stranger is an opportunity to open a door and share the peace that surpasses all understanding. We live in a world of chaos, but as believers, we hold the key to infinite blessings. We may not have the chance to share the gospel in every encounter, but we always have the opportunity to let those around us see Christ in us. From the girl at the drive-thru window, the teller at the bank, the person in line in front of us at the grocery store, they will know we are Christians by our demonstration of love.

As for the Pier itself, I definitely hope to return sooner rather than later. At the far end of it sits a massive anchor against the backdrop of the beautiful lake. It reminds me of Psalm 107, which gives a promise of how God redeems us from trouble. I’ll end with these beautiful words from verses 23-30:

“Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven."