Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Hospitality (02/07/05)
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TITLE: Open your door, anyway | Previous Challenge Entry
By Perpetual Murray
02/12/05 -
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In this era in which we as a people have abused everything, including one another’s goodness, is it possible to show hospitality?
You only have to glance at newspaper headlines to get a sense of some of the horrific things people do to one another nowadays: relatives molesting children, friends committing adultery with their friends’ spouses, unsuspecting parents being swindled by their own children …
How do you open your door to a stranger in times such as these? How do you offer a ride to a stranded woman on the roadside? How do you trust your adult male relative to live with you and your daughters without the fear he might molest them?
How do you give a dollar to a person who claims he is homeless, without wondering if he is a professional beggar who will jump into it is his SUV at the end of the day?
Despite all this, people still need people. Just ask a person who is at the top, or in a position worthy of note, whether in business, academia, social ranking or otherwise. Of the factors that people cite as their reasons for success, a little push from someone ranks among those at the top of the list.
In my walk with the Lord, He purposed it that I was taken to a place in my life where I was hopeless by myself – I needed people. Whenever someone left a scripture with words of assurance from the book of Romans, or let me know that they were praying for me, or reminded me of the Lord’s promise that he had a purpose for my life, the burden became so much lighter, I was not carrying it by myself.
Betrayal existed, yet someone took a chance with me. Someone opened their heart to me. Someone risked and sacrificed a lot to help me.
Today, part of my work involves teaching employability skills to women recovering from drug addiction and about to be released from prison. When it comes to seeing them individually to assess their barriers to employment and what can be done to overcome them, I come across those who simply say things they think I want to hear.
Whereas my reaction would naturally be to accuse or judge, I have learned to go past that and reach out in love, knowing that it is only because someone took a chance on me all those years ago that I am privileged to sit across these lost women.
Betrayal exists. People lie and deceive. They steal from us even when they know we will give them our last. But is this reason to shut the world out?
Warmth, kindness, generosity, cheerfulness and neighborliness – this generation needs more of these. This era has seen more families disintegrate and family ties severed. Who is going to act as mother to wipe those tears; granny to spoil and advise; friend to listen and cheer on; or uncle to mentor?
Hospitality is risky business to get into nowadays, but we, as the body of Christ do not have a choice but to get into it.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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