The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel connects the United States to Canada by traveling nearly a mile under the Detroit River. When we popped out of the tunnel on the Canadian side, my friends, Mark and Kimm, turned to me in the backseat and said (in unison), “Bret, when the guards stop us at the gate, keep your mouth shut.”

I’m still not exactly sure what they thought I was going to say. But it was imperative that I not joke around or try to have fun with the guards. I was a visitor to their land and needed to respect that. My friends knew me well enough to warn me that my mouth might get us in trouble . . . again.

The apostle Peter reminds us that we are strangers in this world; sojourners just traveling through. Our language and character should both inform those around us that we don’t belong here and cause them to wonder where we might be from. “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable,” Peter writes. In a world that seems drunk on conflict and drama, the Christian is to stand apart, not join in. Sometimes that means keeping your mouth shut when you find yourself. Other times it means making sure the words you DO use broadcast the love of Jesus to those around you.