"Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings." Romans 16:23
Scripture talks often, as well as models in the life and ministry of Jesus, the importance of hospitality. In our fast food world, mostly in my native United States, we have lost the art of hospitality and the more basic idea of inviting strangers into our circle of friendship. This is tragic and is a sign that we have also lost a bit of our humanity. And we are impoverished because of this.
I still remember coming home for a summer when we lived in Mexico, house-sitting for someone in Bellevue. In Mexico we followed the custom of occasionally having friends over, for an evening carne asada—barbeque. Our Mexican friends taught us how to have fun together and enjoy one another’s company over food–and long hours of visiting, often till 2 and 3 am! It was really quite wonderful. Anyway, the summer we were house sitting back in Bellevue, a neighbor drove up to their home while I was out in the front yard. I thought to myself, “here is a chance to introduce myself and get to know some neighbors!” I heard a strange sound that was the grinding gears of a garage door opener. The car slowed to accommodate the opening door and then disappeared out of sight. No chance of meeting those neighbors. I think I had even started to walk across the front yard to meet these would be neighbors and shake their hand. I must have looked awfully foolish.
Last week in Morocco, I felt like I was back in Mexico, for many reasons. Obvious differences aside, the culture and people were warm and hospitable. In a panic exit off of the train, I was assisted with my bags by a total stranger and a broad smile, and two thumbs up as the train pulled away. Man, this melted my heart. “Aasalaama Aleikum” [literally means "peace be with you"], the common greeting was on the lips of nearly everyone I met, even strangers passing on the street. Very often when greeting a friend, the hand is drawn to the heart as if to say, "I guard our friendship here in my heart!"
Two out of every three Moroccans are, in cultural and linguistic terms, Berber. Berbers and Arabs are famous for their hospitality. Anyway, the total population in Morocco numbers 31,564,000 so the Berber population is significant. There are 3 major Berber people groups which are further divided into smaller tribal kinship units. Some are still nomadic herdsman, others settled farmers and others hunters and herdsman. Each main group speaks a distinct dialect. This gentleman in the picture above would fit into the middle group. He had a permanent home though very basic, a cow, and several other livestock in his yard and some land. And his hospitality was generous to our group of strangers, as alien to his culture as any two cultures could be on the face of this earth.
We were visiting an orphanage near this man’s home and after a few hours of seeing the place, this gentleman invited us to his home. His warm hospitality in spite of language, obvious cultural and economic barriers was amazing. Everything we ate had been made in their own kitchen. The mint tea was incredible. I probably got sick from something I ate from this man’s table, but I would go back again if invited. There was something of God in all this, even though this man most likely would not be found in a church I would ever pastor. But he is one of Christ’s sheep and it is for people like this that I am where I am, doing what I am doing and blessed to be part of God’s wonderful redemptive drama of reconciling people to himself.
Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13.
