Hospitality, Gift and Practice

 
  
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 
 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.  
Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.
 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.  
 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

 Romans 12:9-12

 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, 
for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2


We're just back from a wonderful vacation on the archipelego of the Azores, the lush islands in the Atlantic which are part of Portugal. We went for the scenery, loved the food, and were disarmed by two occasions of hospitality which were highlights of our trip.

The first was courtesy of an 80-year-old Montrealer who was a "friend of a friend," both having grown up on the island of Faial and eventually emigrating to Canada. Ted wanted us to meet Tomas who spends several months a year in the Azores at his lovely home there. We made tentative plans to do so, although we knew nothing of how that might happen. Tomas got to work tracking down who would be our guide on Pico, the one day we would explore with help. He had the guide bring us to his house for a visit, then took us out to a restaurant by the sea for a sumptuous meal. He couldn't have been more gracious and welcoming, even though we were total strangers.

On the island of Terceira we stayed at a four hundred year-old manor house which is now a hotel. Early in the morning we chatted with Randall, a baroque musician and oboe builder (I couldn't make this up!) who comes to this spot every year with his partner Alain from Switzerland. Then we headed off for what was a fascinating but exhausting day. We returned to our lodgings weary, and willed ourselves toward our vehicle for a dinner reservation at a nearby restaurant. Randall intercepted us as we were leaving and invited us to join them at the same eatery. It turned out that they wanted to host us, and again we enjoyed a marvelous meal and an evening of lively conversation.

In both instances we were overwhelmed by the hospitality of people who'd never set eyes on us before. We were enlivened by both experiences and will never forget them.

I've mused since about hospitality, which in scripture is both a gift of the Holy Spirit and a spiritual practice. There was minimal discussion with these kind folk about religion or faith and it didn't seem that any of our hosts were religious themselves. Yet they are gifted and, practiced when it comes to hospitality and their warmth and welcome touched our souls. In both circumstances our hosts were the angels (I ain't no angel, as most of you know.)

It was such a reminder of the importance of hospitality in our individual lives and in our communities of faith as a concrete expression of Christ's love. 

Thoughts?