(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the April 2023 print edition of The Stand. The Guest Writer is Patricia Jean.)
Grandma has been lying in the hospital bed for 27 days now with no visitors. Molly has been laid off and is trying to figure out how to manage online school with her children. Dan’s business has closed for good.
Yes, since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed America.
People willingly isolated themselves from each other. The elderly suffered alone, couples canceled weddings, the grieved were deprived of funerals, children were kept out of school, and workers were classified as essential and nonessential. After lockdowns, masks provided anonymity. Self-isolation became tragically typical.
But people need people. How could Americans so easily accept this behavior? It was brewing long before the pandemic. The person next door has become a stranger, not a neighbor. People do not chitchat while waiting in line at the grocery. Fellowship is restricted to a handful of family members, certainly not to include strangers.
For Christians, is there no longer a desire for others to be saved? Is there concern for a neighbor? Is there compassion for those within the church, community, or city?
Current cultural focus
Many have become more comfortable with online friends because they require little personal investment. If a social media friend becomes disagreeable, block him. Problem solved. Dating online allows one to sort out anything that might displease, even though differences make room for personal growth.
Unfortunately, since 2020, even many churches have reduced the number of worship services and no longer fellowship three times a week. Christians seem to have forgotten the meaning and abandoned the practice of hospitality.
In effect, hospitality is simply turning the focus from self and reaching out to others. An old adage attributed to St. Francis of Assisi says, “Preach the gospel; use words if you must.” This suggests that actions define beliefs.
For many, the excuse is, “I don’t have the gift of hospitality.” But it is not a gift; it is a requirement for believers. Christianity cannot be self-centered. The evangelistic nature of the Christian faith requires believers to reach out to others. Is there a natural Christian practice of having company for dinner? What about new acquaintances?
Common excuses for not being hospitable include simply being too busy, not wanting to cook, or fearing failure. Such excuses have produced the effect of an isolated lifestyle.
Want to avoid cooking? Meet for coffee. Don’t want to clean house? Meet at a park. Too busy? Slow down.
New Testament teaching
Remember, only people go to heaven – and hospitality reaches people. Peter ends his first epistle by reminding those Christians who have moved away from Jerusalem about the importance of reaching out to others:
Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ's body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him) (1 Peter 4:9, AMPC).
The practice of isolation, for any reason, robs the Christian faith of one of its most effective and valuable tools, hospitality. Peter knew this would be difficult for Christians, yet love for others is one of the two greatest commandments Christ gives (Matthew 22: 36-40). The focus on reaching out to people is the basis for making disciples as described in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
People long for real hospitality. Today’s marketing trends demonstrate that people desire the pure, the organic, the holistic, the authentic, and the connective qualities. People are willing to pay extra for anything genuine.
Unfortunately, current culture emphasizes and advances the divisions among people, but the church is called to unify the culture through the love of Jesus. A cultural shift is possible when hospitality becomes a method of reaching out to others. This challenge should spark a spirit of hospitality in every Christian.
Old Testament roots
Because Christians were all once sinners in need of a savior, respecting differences and opening up to others is foundational to the gospel.
Interestingly, God’s principle of hospitality is not limited to the New Testament. In the Jewish tradition, founded in the ordinances of Moses, God’s desire for community is evident. Moses reminds the Israelites, “You shall not wrtong a stranger or oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21).
The idea of hospitality is so embedded in Jewish custom that families and friends traditionally meet for the Sabbath from Friday evening until Saturday evening without excuse. This time is set apart to connect with believers, enjoy tasty food, and focus on God.
Electronics, computers, and cell phones are turned off. Instead, the focus is on relationships and faith. What a beautiful form of hospitality promoting a needed break from social media and culture.
As political, social, and racial factions in global culture increase, Christians must be willing to offer a sacrifice of hospitality to the world. It may be inconvenient and risky, but it is scriptural, and it will be rewarding. This one lost art can help change the culture for Christ.
