Welcome the stranger

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:8–9)

For many Christians, the word ‘evangelism,’ or the idea of talking to someone about your faith, is a frightening prospect. For some, it is the fear of not knowing what to say; for others, it is the fear of rejection or of being seen as weird or primitive for believing that Jesus is Lord and not realizing you’re supposed to keep that sort of thing private. But I believe there is another way of sharing our faith that may be more doable for some of you, one that is particularly meaningful in this cultural moment: showing hospitality.

Now, to be clear, I am not defining hospitality in the narrow terms that some of you might be thinking, i.e. having someone over to your home. For many of us, that is a non-starter – we don’t have the time to clean, we are perpetually exhausted, we don’t like to cook, we have large dogs, and so on. When I say “show hospitality,” I mean be welcoming towards others. This could mean inviting someone over to your home for a meal (or an outdoor barbecue), but it could mean many other things as well: inviting someone to sit with you at church or to grab lunch afterwards, introducing yourself to someone you don’t know, asking people questions about who they are, or asking someone to join you in something you’re doing. To be hospitable is to make room for others in your life, even when it requires sacrifice.

The Greek word in the New Testament for hospitality is philoxenia, a compound word made up of “philo,” which means love, and “xenia,” which means strangers. Hospitality, therefore, means to love the stranger (contrast that with xenophobia, the fear of strangers). It is no secret that in our cultural moment, polarization and antagonism towards strangers, whether they differ from us in their politics, ethnicity, sexuality, lifestyle, or anything else, is rampant. In addition, there is an epidemic of loneliness, as many people feel they have no close friends, no group to which they belong, and no one who truly cares about them. I believe that in this cultural moment, we have been given an incredible opportunity to practice hospitality, to love the stranger, to make room for others in our life, even when it might cost us time, or money, or comfort.

When I serve communion at our church, I am fond of explaining that at its core, the Lord’s Supper is an invitation by Jesus to share a meal at His table, and therefore an invitation into relationship with Him. To share a meal with someone is to invite someone into a relationship with you. This is why so many people were offended when Jesus invited himself over to the home of Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, to share a meal. But it was through Jesus’ hospitality and grace that Zacchaeus repented of his greed and became a follower of Jesus.

Consider today what it would look like you for to follow Jesus in practicing hospitality, by loving the stranger. How can you go through your day with an open and welcoming posture towards those around you? Who might you invite to join you for a meal, or for companionship? And when you are at church, how can you help us make sure that no one who enters our doors feels unseen or unwelcomed?