FROM THE PASTOR’S HEART
OP / ED BY DR. ROBERT KENNEDY
The bombing of the hospital in Gaza by whoever is to blame (at the moment, Hamas and the Palestinians at large are blaming Israel, and Israel is blaming a misfired bomb from Hamas), is a tragedy beyond repair. Estimates are that more than 300 are dead.
Whether the blast was intended or unintended, there should be a grim reminder that hospitals are no more hospitable places to be in times of war than in one’s home or other places. Wars cause people to be unfriendly to one another. And the care and cause that should be taken are never taken. In the effort to win, all kinds of atrocities are practiced, emphasizing that one of history’s greatest tragedies is the “inhospitality of humanity to humanity,” as they used to say, “The inhospitality of man to man.”
In the earliest history of humanity, we see the grievousness of the men of Sodom towards the angels who had come to visit Lot, and, except for the power of the angels, Lot and his household would have been mistreated. (see Genesis 19).
In the history of Israel, we also see how the men of Gibeah wanted to treat the man receiving hospitality at a home where he was being entertained overnight. When the men of the city did not get what they wanted to do with the man, they were so furious that they were about to burn down the house. The saddest part of the story is that the man offered his betrothed (wife) to the men, and they ravaged her all night and left her for dead.
When the man was ready to leave at daybreak, he saw his half-dead betrothed lying on the doorstep. He took her on his donkey and went home. On arriving home, he cut her body in twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout Israel as evidence of the atrocity. The consequence was the war that led to the near wiping out of the tribe of Benjamin (see Judges 19).
The point of this reflection is that the consequence of inhospitality means destruction for any home, community or nation. Hospitality means that we care for one another and are willing to help each other. It means that we seek to build friendships with each other and that we show courtesies to one another. But, in the dictionary definition, the word is derived from the Latin word “hospes,” meaning visitor or stranger.” The best historical understanding is that hospitality makes us welcoming and kind to strangers.
In the Bible, there is a great emphasis that hospitality should be rendered to strangers, the fatherless, widows and the poor. Take a moment to research the Bible on this. For this reason, the stories that are cited above reveal the tragedies they did. In a society where hospitality breaks down, there are bound to be catastrophes such as what happened in Gaza or across Ukraine or multiple other parts of the world where wars are being fought with babies being killed, and women being raped, etc.
Even in America, where we portend so much hospitality, we see that there is much resentment towards strangers in too many cases. Suppose one analyzes the ongoing conversations about the invasion on the Southern border, the student loan forgiveness by President Biden, and the host of other issues in some of the political discussions; one will be made aware that much of it is a listing of resentments and anger against the strangers, the fatherless and the economically disenfranchised, etc.
A lot of effort is being made to hide the fact that we are becoming an inhospitable society, but if one takes a careful look, it will be made clear that the selfishness, resentment, pride and prejudice which drove the men of Sodom and Gibeah to behave as they did is the same that is driving the societies of our day, including what is happening in America.
To those questioning my assertion, I need to ask, how much are we opening our homes and churches to those in need as was done in the homes of yesteryears? There may be great explanations for the changes that have occurred, but it must be noticed that instead of our homes being hospitable places, they are secured by locked doors, iron bars, etc.
And at the risk of seeming uncharitable, we might also ask, “How hospitable are our churches today?” “Do people who come to them feel a sense of welcome?”
It is of interest that when Jesus was about to leave the earth, he gave his disciples the foot-washing ceremony as a reminder of the hospitality with which they were to live in a community. (See John 13). The foot-washing ceremony is only practiced in a few churches and denominations of the day, but it is clear that if it were practiced as in ancient societies, we could learn much. In fact, when Jesus instituted the ceremony, he enriched it so that the disciples could understand its richness in demonstrating their love, humility, service, patience, sympathy, empathy, and courtesies towards each other. Yes, Jesus was using this ceremony of hospitality to build the spirit of community among his disciples and with the church that would follow them through the ages.
A quote I read some time ago emphasizes the above: “Hospitality is a valuable spiritual asset for community building. It is a sacred ancient art that makes room at the table of consciousness for everyone, strangers and guests alike. In the genuine warmth and welcoming spirit that hospitality is most known for, it spans cultural divides as a nonviolent pathway, transcending background and nationality.”
Another quote in my notepad states, “When the spirit of hospitality dies, the heart becomes palsied.”
Do I need to say more? I think not. The message being made clear is that we find every little way we can to practice hospitality. As Peter says, “Show hospitality to one another.” (1 Peter 4:9).
