Hospitality? Food. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind. I used to love getting ready for company—the baking, cooking and cleaning. (OK, maybe the cleaning wasn’t that much fun.)
Today the cooking and baking aren’t that much fun either. It seems like everyone is on some type of diet: Sugar free, lactose free, low cholesterol, low fat or… chocolate. (That is the choice of some of my female coworkers.)It reminds me of the way some of us Christians lead our lives.
Offering free— We work hard for our money and deserve to spend it on things that make us happy.
Class free—We don’t have time for Bible Study. We learned all that stuff when we were kids.
Low commitment—We show up for church once a month. What else do you expect?
Low accountability—We have been baptized so we are going to heaven. It doesn’t matter how we treat our families and coworkers. Hey, nobody’s perfect.
Then we have those Christians who are like my chocolate-loving friends and want only the best in their lives. These Christians are the ones who are in church on Sunday and in Bible Study during the week. But, it doesn’t stop there. They are also the ones who always find the time to send silly cards to friends who are sick; meet a fellow Christian for prayer when she has a problem; set up tables for church functions; teach children’s classes; help in the nursery; cry with a family when they lose a loved one; and laugh for the sheer joy of knowing God’s love.Oh, yeah, they are always bringing food: to your home after surgery, to church for a funeral dinner, to their family gatherings, to work for birthdays, and the list goes on and on. They never have to brag, “I am a Christian” because their actions speak for them. This, to me, is true hospitality.
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