On Hospitality

Tim Blackmon makes the following observations in his article “The Dangerous Act of Hospitality” (from Modern Reformation, Sept/Oct 2011):

“True hospitality is different. It is deeply Christian and at times is even dangerous.”

“Hospitality was crucial to the survival, identity, and growth of the early church.”

“Compassionate care was the direct result of theological vision. They ‘joyfully accepted the plundering of their property,’ because of their belief about the future ‘since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.’”

“This is how Christian hospitality works—our welcome at someone else’s expense.”

“After our fall, God continued to give himself in ‘sublime abandon.’”

“God’s guest list includes a disconcerting number of poor and broken people, those who appear to bring little to any gathering except their need.”