Hospitality [means] extending to strangers a quality of kindness usually reserved for friends and family.
Christine Pohl, Making Room
Two Sundays ago I preached at Crossbridge Church. My sermon was part of a series titled “Hospitable People”. The series is designed to encourage this church plant to show biblical hospitality to one another and to the city of Miami.
My text was Deuteronomy 24: 18:21, the focus of the sermon was on the hospitality of Israel to the widow, orphan, alien, and stranger. I was glad to preach on this passage because it helped me to think through something that we are trying to be very intentional about as we live in our new home – hospitality.
The Saturday night before I preached this sermon we had several friend over for homemade gnocchi. All week as we were preparing to have everyone over the things I was studying preparing for my sermon kept coming back to me. Finally, I talked about it with Kate and we invited the couple that rents the efficiency behind our house over for dinner. I confess that I did not think they would come. But I did pray that they would. I was not, however, ready for what did happen. As we were in the middle of rolling out the gnocchi our neighbor comes over and tells us that she is sorry they can’t come over because her husband is not feeling well… but she brought us a cheesecake. And not just any old Publix Cheesecake but a Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake (with strawberries and whipped cream)!
And so it was that once more God has made us the recipients of someone else’s hospitality. This is the amazing thing about biblical hospitality – the lines between host and guest are blurry. Just as we are seeking to be intentional in getting to know our neighbors and extending hospitality to them we find that we are the ones who are becoming the recipients of their hospitality. This happened once when my neighbor lent us his lawn mower and now it has happened a second time. What I love is that this is how friendships are born. From strangers who are seeking ways to enter into each other lives and be friends.
How wonderful to see someone live out what they preach about. Hospitality is a wonderful gift to offer to others. People who are willing to be “inclusive” in their gatherings with family/friends are offering one the most valuable gifts we can offer in today’s world. God bless you and your wife; and the work you are trying to do.
Budding Rose
Thanks for your comments. I wholeheartedly agree with you – hospitality is a gift for both host and guest. We are blessed to be part of a community of people down here that value hospitality. Its a lot “easier” to be hospitable when your friends support you.