Remembering What Hospitality Really Is
When was the last time you invited someone over? Or bought a drink for a friend? Or slowed down enough to stop multi-tasking and really listen to your child’s endless chatter?
Hospitality is a word we don’t throw around too often in 2019… and when it IS used, it’s often misunderstood. Hospitality has less to do with a home to invite people to or a beautiful table for dinner guests and MORE to do with a disposition of warmth, friendliness and generosity to the people around you.
Our lives are busy, I know. And when we’re not busy, we’re distracted. And at some point during the busyness and distraction, we become exhausted. Before we know it, opening ourselves up to the people around us slides WAY down on the priority scale until we can’t remember the last meaningful conversation we had.
Every once in a while, it’s good— therapeutic even— to stop the chaos and slow down enough to open our hearts to the people in our spheres. We weren’t meant to live a self-absorbed existence. In fact, self-absorption actually drains life out of us. Living within the context of community is what we were created for. It’s what makes us feel alive, and it’s what gives our life meaning. Hospitality is an enormous part of living out this type of community with each other.
Today, hospitality could look like opening yourself up to a family member… or to a complete stranger.
It could mean turning off Netflix and listening to your spouse unload about their work dilemma.
It could mean starting a conversation with the stranger next to you at the Dunkin’ Donuts counter and finding out she’s a single mom who’s son in jail.
It could mean having quality girl-talk with your pre-teen late at night when she comes alive and all you wanna do is pass out.
It could mean taking that leap to open your home for foster care.
It could mean asking someone of a different racial background than you about their life and really listening.
It could mean being warm and friendly to the person who just rear-ended you.
There a million different ways we can UNforget hospitality in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our work places, in our sports leagues, in our churches… even on social media!
When you think hospitality, think warmth. Think generosity… with your things, your time, your attention. Think of opening your door AND opening your heart to others.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.