Radical hospitality

Seeking genuine connections in our fast-paced society often feels like a difficult task to accomplish when attempting to do so based only on our own strength. However, finding harmony in the most unlikely of circumstances is not just happenstance. It is found through the right intention.

A willing heart

Recently, I had the opportunity to organise a multicultural dinner at a local church, as a way to connect with people in the area and to share about the work of SU in the community.

As we shared our cultural stories around the table, I saw people who had never met each other go from distant strangers to newfound friends over a delicious South Indian meal.

Coming from a collectivist culture, sharing food and friendly hospitality is part of who we are, not just what we do. It defines our first step towards friendship, and is a reflection of care for each other.

For some, this might seem a step beyond what is comfortable. Opening our homes to strangers may not seem like the safest thing to do; but it is what Jesus asks of us, and why He knocks at our door.

An open door

I vividly remember the first time I became an international student. Despite being born and raised in Brisbane, and living on the southside of Brisbane for most of my life, I found myself in another country. While studying theology in the US, I had no friends nor close family in the town where I lived, and felt like a fish out of water.

The first Sunday I arrived in the US, a little old lady introduced herself to me after service at a church I was visiting, and asked me if I had any plans for Thanksgiving. Unbeknownst to me, I hadn’t even thought of what I was meant to do on one of the biggest holidays of the year; yet this lady, without a moment’s hesitation, invited me to her home to share a Thanksgiving meal with her family.

Why would she want to invite me? I still have no answer to this question, over a decade since that day. Yet that little old lady and I have remained friends, because of that simple act of hospitality so many years ago.

But why?

It’s not just because of a meal. It isn’t even because of the significance of the holiday we celebrated together. It was because she invited me in.

A listening ear

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” – Revelation 3:20

I still recall reading that verse for the first time, and immediately thinking of what food I would be partaking of with Jesus. Growing up in a South Asian family, life revolved around food, and was a symbol of togetherness. Everyone was welcome at the dinner table, where we shared stories of our culture, our heritage, our traditions, and our lives.

The rather radical meaning behind the verse as mentioned is that the original intention was directed, not to a singular person, but actually meant to a group. Jesus, in fact, desired to “come in and eat with these, and they with me”.

We, as a body of believers, are meant to share together, not separately.

This Harmony Week, you may be the first to share a meal with someone you don’t yet know. Sharing a meal seems like a simple act. But to those who receive it, it is a foretaste of the banquet in heaven.

Open that door. Listen in. And you will find your heart reflecting His.

About the author:

Joseph serves as part of the Cultural Innovations and First Nations team in Brisbane. He loves sharing his heart for young people with those in his local community, and especially over a South Indian meal. In his spare time, he serves in his local church and writes of his travelling tales for a number of publications.