Hospitality: The Lost Virtue of a 21st Century Church

“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you….for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Mt 25:34-35

Growing up in Eastern Europe, Jelena cherished the memories of guests in her family’s home. Sleeping on the floor was never a problem if the pay-off was the excitement of meeting someone new, a full table, laughter, and late night stories. Since then, Jelena has learned that true hospitality begins with God, and hospitality in the 21st Century, especially to strangers, does not come easy for us. Until we are deeply rooted in the knowledge of God’s grace, we have neither the living example nor the strength of commitment to live hospitably in a hostile world. Hospitality means receiving someone, from the heart, into our own dwelling place and providing for the needs, comforts, and delights of that someone with all the openness, respect, freedom, tenderness, and joy that love itself embodies. How do we practice openness towards strangers in our community? How do we experience the hospitality of God in our lives?