Hospitality and Abundance

Where is our sense of hospitality? Our desire to take care of the stranger?

Yesterday was a long day with an even longer car ride in an attempt to make it to Houghton. I failed. Along the way I had to go to the bathroom (shocker) and ended up on this country back road in the middle of no where. I was driving and driving with no sign of civilazation in sight, when afar I spotted a parking lot. I went and turned around in it, and as I was completing my turn a man exited the building and made me roll down my window. I thought he was going to give me directions. No such luck. He yelled at me that this was American Legion property and that I couldn't turn around here.

Reflecting on this experience as I drove (and found a bathroom!) I realized that America is a country that has become void of hospitality. Which is sad because it is truly the land of abundance. The text preached on in chapel that morning was the feeding of the 5,000. But it was preached in a whole new way for my listening heart and ears. Jesus sat down. He was ready to teach, but the disciples couldn't complete the task so Christ decided to feed the people. He took little and made it into abundance. The preacher went on to say that in early Johnine communities two holy means were celebrated, communion (the meal of scarcity) and the fish and loaves (the meal of abundance). Over time the meal of scarcity became the only sacred meal.

But we need to remember that we live in abundance and just sit and listen to Christ. In the midst of the US's finicial woes we need to sit. As we fret over life, we need to sit. Because God has graiously given us his abundance. An abundance for us to share with others as well.

But in the US we've become all about what I have and what is Mine, not Yours. Like the man in the parking lot, we mark our property (like an animal peeing on it) and say to everyone else keep out. I need to keep my abundance to myself and pretend that it is a scarcity. How tragic! We need to regain the Holy Attitude of Hospitality. I'm not sure if many of you know, but I'm excited to have a parsonage and I have plans for the house I'm given. First, all are going to be welcome. There are going to be too many bedrooms just for me, so all are welcome, stranger and friend alike, for food and a warm place to stay. And second, I'm going to have foster kids. Lots of them :) But even with this far off plan for hospitality, I can still practice hospitality now. Can you? Will you?