It can be easy to hope that our hospitality will be rewarded. Yet this is not what Jesus had in mind when he commanded us to love our neighbors. Just as grace is freely given to us, we are called to give grace to others – regardless of how they respond.
This kind of hospitality reminds me of a suicide prevention class I took during my Lutheran diaconal training.
We learned that when you suspect someone may be at risk of self-harm, you should ask them open-ended questions: “Are you thinking of hurting yourself?” rather than “You’re not going to hurt yourself, are you?”
The latter creates an expectation about what you want to hear from the person in trouble. It puts pressure on them to give you the answer you want. The former grants them the hospitality to tell the truth without being judged. The question is about the person in need; it’s not about you.
True hospitality is not about us; it’s about our neighbor, it’s about the other. It’s about giving of ourselves and trusting God to handle the results.
This message is excerpted from “When you offer hospitality, what do you expect in return?” by Sarah Carson from the May 24, 2018, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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