the paradox of hospitality

my dear friend janessa gave me a book of "lenten" devotions and i was hesitant at first, but i've been reading it every day (i gave up sugar for lent!) and it's actually amazing. this one is from last saturday; it's so beautiful.

this is what it says

Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines. It is not to lead our neighbor into a corner where there are no alternatives left, but open a wide spectrum of options for choice and commitment. It is not an educated intimidation with good books, good stories and good works, but the liberation of fearful hearts so that words can find roots and bear ample fruit. It is not a method of making our God and our way into the criteria of happiness, but the opening of an opportunity to others to find their God and their way. The paradox of hospitality is that it wants to create emptiness, not a fearful emptiness, but a friendly emptiness where strangers can enter and discover themselves as created free; free to sing their own songs, speak their own languages, dance their own dances; free also to leave and follow their own vocations.

just like, read it again.

"it wants to create emptiness, not a fearful emptiness, but a friendly emptiness where strangers can enter and discover themselves as created free."

hospitality is not convincing someone that they need to do something (ie. convert to christianity) in order to be free, but realize their freedom already. i think a lot of what inhibits us (as humans) from finding the freedom we seek is something that we need overcome internally, rather than externally. like, god is already in us - maybe that's why so often people feel like any god they can find would be something found within themselves. because a god is already in them.
the scary thing, then i guess, is how easy it is to value humanity just for the sake of humanity and disregard a "higher power" called god. to see such value in human creation, human innovation, and the human experience. and not see how we are created in god's image and the insane amount of joy that can be derived from realizing that all beauty and truth we seek can be only be sought if it is something we have, to some degree, already found.


my friend kristen is making this gift for his girlfriend and wrote this on a piece of fabric for her. it's a verse from "the message" translation of the bible:

Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

thanks for reading my blog, sarah.