“Hermas, a writer from the early centuries of the church, declared that in hospitality could be found the practice of good. In the late twentieth century, ethicist Thomas Ogletree echoed a similar conviction that ‘to be moral is to be hospitable to the stranger.’ These are strong claims about the moral significance of hospitality, but if we consider the many issues of exclusion, abandonment, recognition, and welcome in contemporary life, we might be inclined to agree.

“Communities in which hospitality is a vibrant practice tap into deep human longings to belong, find a place to share one’s gifts, and be valued. The practice of hospitality reflects a willingness on the part of a community of people to be open to others and to their insights, needs, and contributions. Hospitable communities recognize that they are incomplete without other folks but also that they have a ‘treasure’ to share with them.

“Hospitality is at the heart of Christian life, drawing from God’s grace and reflecting God’s graciousness. In hospitality, we respond to the welcome that God has offered and replicate that welcome in the world. While many current understandings of hospitality are limited to the hospitality industry of restaurants and hotels, coffee and donuts at church, or well-planned dinner parties, the practice itself is biblically, historically and theologically much more substantive and significant.

“The practice of hospitality is important for communities as they reach out to others and as they work to strengthen their internal relationships. A community is also important for the practice of hospitality. Those who welcome strangers from within a community can find friends with whom to share the work and the blessing, help in maintaining perspective, and opportunities for rest and renewal.

“When we regularly offer hospitality to strangers, we quickly discover the importance of other practices. Living and speaking truthfully are central to the vulnerability and transparency associated with welcoming people into our lives and communities. But to live truthfully while offering welcome, a family, congregation, or community also depends on the practice of fidelity or promising. Together, truthfulness and fidelity help create a trustworthy environment into which we can welcome strangers and within which it is safe to be vulnerable.

“Unless it is rooted in gratitude, the practice of hospitality quickly becomes grudging (1 Pet. 4:9). Hospitality is not easy, and guests are not always pleasant or grateful. To sustain hospitality over the long term, our gratitude needs to be cultivated in response to the love and grace of God. Fidelity, truthfulness, and gratitude make space for the practice of hospitality.”

— from Christine D. Pohl, Living into Community: Cultivating Practices That Sustain Us (Eerdmans, 2012)

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