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 affliction; persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality to strangers. – Romans 12:9-13
Lately, I have been reflecting on what it means to be a faithful Christian—a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. And Lent is the perfect season to reflect and examine ourselves deeply. As part of my reflection, instead of embracing a word for 2023, I adopted the following statement, “Create Spaces of Belonging.” The reason is that I realized that I have often felt left out and even rejected since I came to the United States from Mexico 20 years ago.
The impact of rejection and the feeling that we do not belong can go unnoticed unless we dare to be honest and have the courage to dig deep within ourselves. Although it was painful, it was also liberating, realizing that I was letting the impact affect me more than it should. I recognized I could not control how others behaved, and I understood that what makes the difference is how I respond to rejection and the feeling that I do not belong.
My statement has become an action now. I have intentionally created spaces of belonging – spaces of graceful hospitality. I have reached out to old friends. I have cooked and shared meals with new friends. And I am constantly seeking opportunities to connect and learn from strangers.
As the Church of Christ, we also need to reflect on the impact we have inflicted on those who have been rejected or felt that they do not belong in the Church. Sadly and painfully, the Church is often seen as a hostile place where not everyone feels welcome, especially those who are frequently tagged as “the marginalized,” “the undeserved,” “the wrong people,” and “the stranger.”
Graceful hospitality during Lent can be about offering genuine love to the stranger, who usually is vulnerable and experiencing a crisis. Then we must also be willing to be vulnerable and recognize before others that we are in crisis and need love. Graceful hospitality requires mutual vulnerability, mutual accountability, and mutual love. Jesus made himself vulnerable by emptying himself. Jesus let the disciples share life with him, making himself accountable to them, especially to God.
Graceful Hospitality during Lent is an invitation to recognize—to see—the stranger in our midst. Who is the stranger in our midst? The immigrants? The undocumented immigrants? The rich? The poor? The people with special needs? The uneducated? The highly educated? The atheists? The non-Christians? The LGBTQ+ community? and the list goes on.
In short, the stranger is the outsider who often does not look, think, talk, behave, understand God, or live our way. A true disciple of Christ will offer hospitality and genuine love to whoever is the stranger in their midst.
Graceful and hospitable God, pour out your love and power on us so that we can be vessels of genuine love and hospitality to all people. Amen.
Rev. Ismael Ruiz-Millán serves as the Heritage 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.