We read again and again in the Old Testament that one of the practices that marked the culture of Israel was hospitality for the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:18-19). Hospitality and compassion could create new, equivalently life-giving intergenerational family ties.
God’s command to show hospitality is not just fit for ancient people, but also for us, in our time.
Does God’s invitation to hospitality include our neighbors (even those we do not know) who are poor or struggling or lonely? Might we also think of our congregations this way, as places where hospitality and the gift of family ties can create that web for people who don’t otherwise have it?
God, open our eyes and hearts to the power of hospitality to make the world a healthier, more loving place where everyone knows home.
This message is an excerpt from “Hospitality as grace” by Catherine Malotky in the May 2018 issue of Gather magazine. Today is the 13th Sunday after Pentecost.
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