HOSPITALITY

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” … 

Hebrews 13.2

I was challenged by this verse last Sunday when tuned into the Radio 4 morning worship which was coincided with the Chinese New Year. Thousands of refugees from Hong Kong are planned to come to the UK within the next twelve months (obviously complicated by the pandemic) and hospitality is needed to help them settle. So the challenge is, ‘what is my response’ and ‘what can be done to help?’ Being away, in the midst of Covid restrictions, I don’t have a ready answer but it did get me thinking about what it means to offer hospitality.

Those of you who know R and me know that we have an open door house sort of policy, which we both grew up with and we love nothing more than fellowship around a table laden with food and friends, or strangers! Lockdown has been very quiet and strange in that respect although I haven’t missed the quantity of washing-up that used to pile up when we had large gatherings, which over the years was relatively often.

Talking of strangers reminds me of when a friend of mine, before sat nav and google maps, decided to cycle the length of Britain and only had a small window of time to do this which coincided with very very wet weather. After a couple of days she entered a small village shop absolutely soaking, to buy a new map as hers had disintegrated in the rain and she was on the point of returning home by train as her spirits were so low. The owner of the shop took one look at her, offered her food, a bed for the night and dried all her belongings. The next day, fortified by the unexpected kindness of a stranger, she continued on her way and completed her cycle ride.

Inspired by this story, not long after, we were walking into our town for a meeting one evening when we spied this amazing vintage motorbike with sidecar, a la Wallace and Grommet. A lady was sitting on it and across the road her partner was enquiring at the local hotel if they had a room for the night. I suggested to R that we offer them a bed so he went to the man and said that if they were waiting for us at 10pm on our return from the town they could come and stay with us for the night. Low and behold, two hours later there they were! Asking if they had sleeping bags they started rummaging around and I realised they were buried deep in their side car so I told them not to worry and made up a bed for them. We then had a couple of really interesting hours chatting to them. They were professors from a university in southern Germany who had been visiting Cornwall and were en route home. They left very early the next morning, refusing breakfast, which made me grateful they hadn’t had to spend a fortune for one night in a hotel not even staying long enough for food!

Our other hospitable story involves 5 photographic students from India, studying at our local university for a month. I happened to be in the church office when a request came through for urgent accommodation as the university had no space for them. We ended up having all 5 and what joy they brought into our house for that brief time. Such that when we were asked to do the same 18 months later with a further 4 students, we readily agreed. The students were from differing areas of India and we know if ever we were to visit we would receive a warm welcome. Reflecting back on all the various students, au pairs, lodgers we have had over the years, we realise they have enriched our lives and we have probably gained more from them than they from us. A blessing indeed.