Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” Luke 6:38
I was once a part of a grand experiment where a group of people, most of whom had previously been strangers, grew into a new faith community. In those early days, we began to notice that God had given us an extra measure of the gift of hospitality. Our people began partnering with other congregations in a ministry called WIHN. Servants from our church were welcomed to assist other neighboring churches in this ministry to the unsheltered in the community, making room for them in their facilities for a week, preparing meals, and listening to their stories. This practice had such a profound impact on the fabric of the church that when our first facilities were constructed four years after launching, the church added family showers and bathrooms for those whom we would welcome among us.
It’s no surprise this same group became involved in a mission called ABRO (American Belarusian Relief Organization) where for 6 weeks each summer, church families welcomed children to live with them and enjoy a life in stark contrast to the realities of their post-Chernobyl landscape. This was an opportunity for them to be children; to laugh and play and see a doctor or a dentist as need dictated. Some of us traveled to Belarus to see where the children lived. I remember eating lunch in an orphanage, and a plate was set before me with the largest, thickest slice of bologna that I have ever seen. There was some potato soup and a piece of crusty bread on the side. It represented a gift undeserved, and an extension of love and caring which still brings a tear to my eyes to this day.
As John Pavlovitz reminds us, the “simple act of sharing space with people is a sacred offering, and in a world where most of us are content to shout our opinions at relative strangers from a safe space, the radical hospitality of Christ pulls people close and demands that we see and hear them.”
Help us, Lord, to see and hear you in the lives of all those with whom we share space in this world, and to be as generous and giving as you are with each of us, through Christ, our Lord. Amen
Rev. Jon Strother serves as the Sound District Superintendent.
Our theme for this year’s Lenten reflections is Graceful Hospitality. 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Ten Dollar Club, now known as the New Room Society. We give thanks for our Conference’s ongoing commitment to co-creating new places for new people to gather in communion with Jesus Christ and extending graceful hospitality to all of God’s children.