Radical hospitality

RECENTLY I’ve been exploring what radical hospitality means for the church community and for our wider community?

If hospitality is around the act of welcome, inclusion and generosity to the stranger or outsider, then radical hospitality must be around the act of offering welcome, inclusion and generosity to all others (no conditions) that is drastically different from ordinary practice. It’s around the attitude and actions that exceed expectations of “normal” hospitality.

In his book Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life, Henri Nouwen wrote:

“Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.”

Sometimes we need to allow ourselves to receive hospitality from God (1 John 4:19) and from others (1 John 4:7-21) in order to be able to offer hospitality to others. When we can do that, our lives and our world are transformed.

Who do you need to receive hospitality from today? Who can you offer hospitality to today?