Pastor's Perspective
The
Greek language has different words for various kinds of love while
English has but one. ‘Philadelphia’ means the love of brothers and
sisters and makes us think of Philadelphia, the city of brotherly
love. ‘Philoxenia’ means love of strangers. We don’t have that
word in English but you have likely heard its exact opposite,
‘xenophobia’, which means fear of the stranger. We encounter these two
terms in Hebrews 13:1 which reads, “Let
mutual love (philadelphia) continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality
to strangers (philoxenia), for by doing that some have entertained
angels without knowing it.”
Inclusive
hospitality does not come naturally to us. We tend to guard our
resources, watch our back, fear the stranger or the one who is
different. Even with the best of intentions, we tend to pay attention
only to our own small circle of friends. Xenophobia (fear of the
stranger) dominates the way many see the world.
We
have become a nation that worships exclusivity. Exclusive
neighborhoods, exclusive clubs, exclusive schools, "members-only"
stores, gated communities, exclusive soccer teams---the list is
endless. Exclusivity is seen as a plus, a feather in your cap,
something to be strived after. The more exclusive, the
better. And yes, even Christian churches are often unwittingly
exclusive.
Against
this backdrop of exclusivity we see just how radical is Jesus' message
of inclusive hospitalityAll we have to do is look at who Jesus talked
to, who Jesus ate with, who Jesus healed, to see how important it was
to Jesus to welcome people outside the usual realm of society.
Whether it was children (who were considered less than people),
or women (who were considered property), or tax collectors (who
were considered sub-human), the poor or prostitutes, Samaritans or
sinners, Jesus welcomed them all. And by both what he said and
what he did, he told us we are to do the same.
This is where we
stand as Christians in today's secular world. We understand there
is something different about being Christian; something that should
mark us or brand us as counter cultural. And this radical
hospitality, this radical inclusiveness, is something about us that is
completely counter-cultural and also completely biblical.
And
the good news is that, if the risks are great, the rewards are even
greater. For it’s in responding this way that we build community. It’s
in responding this way that we learn how to love.
Parker
Palmer in his book, “The Company of Strangers” writes: “God
persistently challenges conventional truth and regularly upsets the
world’s way of looking at things. It is no accident that this God is so
often represented by the stranger, for the truth that God speaks in our
lives is very strange indeed. Where the world sees impossibility, God
sees potential. Where the world sees comfort, God sees idolatry. Where
the world sees insecurity, God sees occasions for faith. Where the
world sees death, God proclaims life. God uses the stranger to shake us
from our conventional points of view.”
