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“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
My Two Cents….
I try to be nice to others. Smiles and kind words come rather easy. Over the years, I’ve developed an ability to share both with others in a liberal fashion. It has gotten so that I’m even able to communicate nicety with those whom I don’t like. You might say that I have a demonstrated proficiency in these matters.
When I first read Hebrews 13:1, I want to say, “I have this down.” I can smile and wave with the best of them. I can do hospitality. I welcome everybody.
But, do I? Do I share genuine hospitality to strangers? The word in the Greek language for ‘hospitality’ is xenophilia or ‘love of stranger.’ Huh? Imagine that. Loving strangers seems a little more involved than just a casual wave.
Friends, family, neighbors, folks out walking the dogs in the neighborhood - these are the usual recipients of my hospitality. Whereas I try not to be rude or dismissive of strangers, if I’m honest with myself, I don’t ‘love’ them in the same way that I do with those known and beloved people in my life.
Strangers can be kinda scary. What are their intentions? Are they friend or foe? You have to be careful. We hear so many stories and myths about ‘stranger danger.’ From childhood, I was taught not to talk to strangers.
The early Christians embraced hospitality - love of the stranger - as a value within their communities. This passage from Hebrews is but one example of how the church saw ‘loving strangers’ as a way of being faithful. Not only did it imitate Jesus’s ministry that reached across boundaries and welcomed those outside, it held the possibility of encountering God. They recalled the stories about Abraham’s welcome of the strangers who turned out to be angels. They expected God to be in unexpected and unknown people.
I wonder - what would it look like today if we took a moment to show some love to a stranger? What if we did that with the expectation that we would encounter God in the process?
In Christ’s Light,
Walt
Starting November 4, I will be offering a new daily devotional called WELCOME; Sharing in God’s Greeting. It is a four-week series on Christian hospitality. Stay tuned for more information about how you can subscribe.
Permission granted to share today's content with family and friends. Copyrighted 2019. Walt Lichtenberger