Lilies of the Field explores this issue and offers a compelling solution. The mission is run by several East German nuns who are amazed to see the stranger. They see him as the answer to their prayers. He will build the chapel that they have longed for. Homer's need for cash compels him to agree to work odd jobs for one day, but that day turns into many.
Lilies has an understated elegance.
While the film is consumed with religious ideas, none of them overpower the simple story about people. It's a sermon, but not overtly. And that quality of telling an honest story first comes out in the style of the film. Sidney Poitier's portrayal as a frustrated, but honest carpenter justly won him an Academy Award. The stark images and simple cinematic elements reinforce the stoic lifestyle of the nuns.