This past week I was scrolling on Instagram and randomly passed a painting of an open door with the description “hospitality is the gateway.” I looked at it briefly and scrolled past but it’s been lingering in the back of my mind ever since.
We often associate hospitality with events. I’m hosting a birthday party or hosting guests or the church is hosting the pumpkin party, etc. But really hospitality is something that we practice every day in every interaction we have. Louis Chevalier described hospitality as, “the virtue of a great soul that cares for the whole universe through the ties of humanity.” Reading those words, you can certainly see why many believe it to be a gift of the spirit. Hospitality is our way of showing our care to the entire universe with small acts of kindness to one another or "the ties of humanity" as Chevalier characterized it.
Hospitality isn’t kindness for kindness’ sake. It’s kindness for love’s sake. We show our love of God through our love of one another. As the song says, “they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
Romans 15:5-7 says, “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
My encouragement this week is to extend the invitation you’ve been thinking about, take the extra five minutes to engage in conversation with someone you don’t know well, and in doing so, welcome someone through the gateway just as Christ has welcomed you.
Blessings,
Julie
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