One of the nicest things in life is to meet an open, friendly, hospitable person. You can usually tell from the quality of the handshake if you are dealing with such a person. He or she not only makes you feel welcome, but makes you feel that it is good to be you. Hospitality is the hallmark of a true follower of Christ.
In most countries, the long, nice winter was over and summer had come. A warm sun shone brilliantly from a clear blue sky with occasional rain. All along the street the people rejoiced. They drew back their curtains and opened up their windows. Fresh air, sunlight, and warmth poured into their homes bringing gladness to the hearts of all inside. Even the very old felt that it was good to be alive, and exclaimed, ‘Thank God for the sunshine!’ But more often when we open our windows and an unwelcome person suddenly appeared at the end of the street. Then, one by one, down the length of the street, the windows were quickly closed, the curtains silently drawn, and the locks put back on the front doors. No sooner had that unwelcome person disappeared than the curtains were pulled back again, and the windows opened up once more. And again, the sunshine and fresh air poured in, and all the people rejoiced. Soon the looks were removed from the front doors, and here and there neighbours came out to exchange friendly greetings, for they were a very clannish lot, and prided themselves on this fact.
Strange when you think about it. Our homes are always open to receive God’s sunshine and fresh air, but alas not always open to receive persons who may need our presence, especially if he or she comes dressed in shabby clothes. Yet, even in this case, he or she is still a child of that God who lets his sunshine on each one of us, irrespective of whether or not we deserve it. I’m talking about hospitality. Hospitality is a very different matter from what it was say twenty years or so ago. Those were the days when nobody locked their doors (at least not during the day), and when strangers were few and far and far between. But today the whole scene has changed. There are lots of strangers around, as well as many conmen and thieves. Nobody likes to be taken adventure of. People are fearful of strangers who come around their neighborhood, and not without reason. In some large urban areas you’ll hardly find a house that has not been robbed. And what a horrible experience that is, especially for the elderly and those living alone. Some are never the same as a result of it.
So, the old days of open doors are gone, perhaps for ever. Today is the day of locks, bolts, chains, peep holes, alarm systems, dogs, and yes, in some cases, guns. Yet today there is more need than ever for hospitality and friendliness. In the world today there are lots of strangers, aliens, and displaced people. These people have no roots and no friends. They move into neighbourhoods where they know nobody and where lie can be very lonely for them.
We are naturally afraid of strangers, precisely because they are strange, that is, different from us. So, what do we do? We put up barriers. We keep them out. It’s not that we take direct action against them. It’s just that we do not invite them into our clubs, and so on.
But Christ calls us to welcome the strangers in our midst. To be hospitable does not mean making them like us. It means accepting them as they are. Then they can shed their strangeness and become members of the community. Hospitality is not so much a question of keeping the doors of our homes open, as keeping the doors of our hearts open. If you’ve ever had the experience of being lost in a strange place, you will know how frightening it can be. How lovely it is when someone comes up to you and offers to help. It is as if the sun suddenly begins to shine on you from a hitherto dark sky.
If Christians get into ghettos where they secure themselves and their property against those they consider as socially inferior to them, what hope is there for the world? Christ called us to reach out. And the rewards are enormous. He said that even a trivial act of kindness, like giving a cup of cold water, would not go unrewarded. But there are earthly rewards too, and very great ones – the growth of understanding, friendliness, and cooperation, things our neighbourhoods are crying out for.
This is the kind of spring we ourselves can cause to visit our homes and streets, a spring which will banish from our midst the winter of mistrust, fear, and hospitality. For the followers of Christ, hospitality is not an optional extra. It is at the very heart of the Gospel. And the ultimate motivation is clear: to welcome the stranger is to welcome Christ himself.
(Used with permission. www.mycatholic.life)
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