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Hoboglyphics

 

“Hospitality”

From the Book of Hebrews: 13.2

  • Legacy Standard Bible
    Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

 

  • Amplified Bible
    Do not neglect to extend hospitality to strangers [especially among the family of believers—being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

 

I recently read: Many churchgoers would describe their congregation as “friendly,” but we should make a clear distinction between “friendliness” and “hospitality.” 

During our Curacy year, Flo and I were invited to the home of a retired clergy.

During a very delightful evening they shared with us how they believed they had been given the spiritual gift of hospitality. We discovered it to be so—that gift was genuine in their Christian Walk. We experienced with delight and further observed it from afar how they lived out their gift of hospitality. 

I grew up in Rural Canada.

I witnessed the gift of hospitality many times during my upbringing. Often, it would be a matter of necessity. The closest café would be far off and when various such salespeople—the machinery dealer, the Fuller Brush man, or the ‘Avon Lady’—there would always be another plate set at the table. 

The scriptures provide many references.

  • Leviticus 19.34 ‘You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’

  • Acts 28.2 ‘The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold.

  • Romans 12.13 ‘Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.’

  • 1 Timothy 5.10 ‘And having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.’

  • Titus 1.8 ‘But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.’

  • 1 Peter 4.9 ‘Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.’    

From the website ‘Got Questions’  comes this quote:

'Hospitality can be defined as “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.” In the New Testament, the Greek word translated “hospitality” literally means “love of strangers.” Hospitality is a virtue that is both commanded and commended throughout Scripture. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the commandment from God was specific: “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt” (Leviticus 19:33-34, emphasis added).'           

During the Depression, “hobos” travelled the railways. They would often mark gate posts or trees with “hoboglyphs”—codes or symbols such as: 

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This meant: ‘Kind lady lives here.’ Hobos who found or left this mark could rely on a bite to eat with nothing expected in return. The homemakers were generally welcoming, mother-like women with compassion for respectful hobos.

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This meant: ‘Man with gun lives here!’ 

May our homes, Christian and personal, always bear the reputation of ‘Kind people worship here.’ 

Blessings for this week,
Archdeacon Brian+