Remarkable Hospitality

Abraham…

The man God chose as the patriarch of His people set an example of boldness, faith and obedience. He was also a man of remarkable hospitality.

One day, he looks up to see three men standing near his tent….

I’m struck by Abram’s hospitality to these “strangers.” He not only welcomed and tended to their needs but did so with such a sense of urgency.

As it turned out, these visitors weren’t just your average passersby. They were on a special assignment and came with a message of promise.

One of the men told Abraham, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

You never know when you might be receiving a bigger blessing than you’re giving!

Laughter & Lies

Now Sarah, who may be past child bearing age but hasn’t outgrown her “curiosity” (haha!) is eavesdropping at the door of the tent and laughs at what seems an incredible promise. When she’s called out, she does the most natural thing of all…

We can lie to others… even to ourselves, and it’s especially tempting to do so when we are afraid, or maybe even worse, ashamed of facing some truth we’d rather not confront. Lying to God, however, is pointless since He knows us better than we know ourselves. Thankfully He also loves us better than we love ourselves.

Back to Hospitality

Here is where we have the account of Abraham pleading and bargaining on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah, which we covered in a previous post (Impossible Prayers). God agrees to spare the whole place if ten righteous people can be found there.

Genesis 19 begins with more great hospitality (this time by Lot) as the angels God sent to destroy the wicked cities arrive in Sodom:

Lot wasn’t making a show of courtesy. He didn’t extend that invitation expecting and hoping that they’d politely refuse it and he could go, relieved, on his merry way. Far from it! He meant that offer and was insistent … insistent to the point that he turned their “no” into a “yes”.

My dad was an exceptionally hospitable person. Nothing delighted him more than having a bunch of people all together and happy. He loved to entertain and would “bend over backwards” to make sure everyone was comfortable, included, and having a good time.

Going to each other’s homes was common, particularly after Sunday evening worship. I always looked forward to going to somebody’s house or having “company” over to ours. I loved the energy; I loved people sitting around a table, talking and laughing; I loved hearing the conversations. It’s one of my fondest growing up memories. I miss that because I don’t do that anymore… and I don’t think I’m alone.

I know times and customs change, but I miss the kind of hospitality I saw as a child. Visiting preachers didn’t come to town, stay in a hotel and eat out. They stayed with a family, and people had them over for home cooked meals.

These days we are too busy for all of that. Who has time to cook and entertain? We are concerned about whether our houses are big enough, clean enough, or comfortable enough. Also we REALLY value our privacy! (In fact, I feel pretty sure that in the case of today’s “visiting preachers,” many of them prefer a hotel room over a room in someone else’s home.)

The truth is, whether giving or receiving, hospitality requires physical and emotional energy that either we don’t have or that we aren’t willing to expend. We get together at restaurants so we don’t have to shop, cook, or clean. Plus (and maybe best of all) it’s easy to limit the amount of time we spend there.

It’s a great way to “engage” without being fully committed to the engagement!

That said, in the midst of a culture that invites, accepts and sometimes even encourages us to isolate, I thank God that hospitality is still alive and thriving. Whatever form it may take, there are still a lot of seriously hospitable people out there, and I admire them.

My sister, for example, is exactly like Dad. Exactly!

And my brother-in law and sister-in-law, Rod and Cindy, are two of the most hospitable people I’ve ever known. When we were in the midst of a house remodel and had friends come to visit, guess who gave them a comfortable place to stay, complete with a basket of snacks and a delicious breakfast prepared and left waiting for them when they got up the next day?

(By the way, Rod and Cindy still keep the missionaries who come to town!)

Abraham, Lot, Karen, Rod and Cindy all make me want to be more hospitable.

Hospitality isn’t about being the life of the party or having a perfect house; it’s about the warmth and acceptance others find in your space. I so long for my house to be a comfortable place where people know they are loved and listened to, a place where people come to have their souls nurtured, where they come to talk… or not.

Whether it be taking a walk or taking a nap, playing games at the kitchen table or playing music on the front porch, chatting over coffee (or making coffee!), I want my home to be somewhere where others experience the freedom to be themselves, to let go… to breathe.

What does hospitality look like to you? Who immediately comes to mind when you think of “hospitable”?

I’d love to read your thoughts and stories!

Wishing you good health, safety and blessings until next time, Kim