Let me begin with a quote from Paul’s Letter to the Romans 12. v13.
“Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.”
“Contribute to the needs of the saints.” Hospitality was important, especially for traveling Christians like Phoebe who is mentioned by Paul in the same letter chap 16. vv1–2.
Paul in his letter makes this one of the graces that all Christians should adopt. The implication being that this is important for all of us today. Hospitality should lie at the centre of any community, not only for bringing us together, but there is a good argument for saying that hospitality lies at the very centre of all evangelism.
If you and I want to bring people to Christ then it has to begin with us extending welcome and support to those we meet not in the selfish sense of ‘I am only interested in making new Christians’ but because we are called to be generous to everyone, whether I like them or not. Now that is quite a challenge particularly for those of us who are introvert. It may come easily to our extrovert friends but it has to be worked at by those of us who aren’t naturally extrovert.
Religious Communities have always held hospitality as one of their important gifts. Historically the first hospitals were formed by Religious Communities hundreds of years ago and it is interesting that to this day they are still called hospitals where hospitality is extended to all patients.
But let is return to chapter 12 of Paul’s letter to the Romans where he tells us in verse 10: “love one another with mutual affection;”. Everything we do should be guided by love. Why? Because God loved us so much that he sent us his Son, Jesus, to live amongst us so that we might learn that God loves each and everyone of us; that God will never give up on us, even when we give up on ourselves. Ultimately Jesus gave his life for all of us when he died on the cross, yes, he died for you and for me.
Our response is to try to love God and try to love all those around us. It is a huge task but with the help of God and the support of each other let us strive to give hospitality generously and therefore to love one another.
Andrew SSL