What is Hospitality?

As you may have figured out by now . . . I like to read Max Lucado. I've begun reading an inspiring little book called, Outlive Your Life. In one chapter he has some thoughts about hospitality, a topic I somehow would not have thought would fit with the title of the book. But it surely does.

Something that was brought to my attention is that the words hospitality and hospital both come from the same Latin word. I’d never thought of the relationship. When we show hospitality we are opening our home to care for someone. It may be a physical need for food, but for most of us, our emotional needs outweigh physical needs, as we look for encouragement and acceptance. When we give out an invitation, our guests get a message that they are worth the effort.

I see that the publisher has given permission for brief quotations . . . so I will take advantage of that, since I cannot put things as well as he does. I was struck by these words,

“Something holy happens around a dinner table that will never happen in a sanctuary. In a church auditorium you see the back of heads. Around the table you see the expressions on faces. In the auditorium one person speaks; around the table everyone has a voice.”

Now, I know that if this topic were to be addressed in a Martha Stewart magazine . . . the things that would be emphasized could be daunting, to say the least . . . the perfect table . . . china . . . embellishments . . . and numerous entrées. They have their place and I enjoy the inspiration, because of who I am, but I also want to emphasize a distinction between entertaining and hospitality.

Hospitality does not wait for everything to be perfect. Lucado writes, “You think your house is small, but to the lonely heart, it is a castle. You think the living room is a mess, but to the person whose life is a mess, your house is a sanctuary. You think the meal is simple, but to those who eat alone every night, pork and beans on paper plates tastes like filet mignon.”

We are living in an age where communication can be almost as quick as we think. But, are we really communicating? Are we using new conveniences so we don’t have to “waste” time in conversation? Maybe a call that includes an invitation for soup and a sandwich is just what the doctor ordered. There is no greater gift than saying, I have time for you . . . You matter to me . . . What can I do for you?

I have not finished reading the book, but I anticipate learning more about living moments that will be remembered long after the fact . . . and they don't have to be big.