Hospitality

Once it was so common that we hardly used to name it.

Now it is the name of a whole industry.

I’m talking about hospitality.

‘The friendly and liberal reception of strangers and guests’ (Websters)

We can find hospitality (usually) when we visit a restaurant or café, perhaps when we stay at an accommodation place such as motel or B&B, as to the business owner and or employees, we are a stranger yet a guest.

But the art of offering hospitality in our homes in this country is on the slide.

You and I tend to offer hospitality to only a limited number of people, people who we already know and like - mostly relatives and a few close friends.

This is in contrast to many cultures around the world, who still uphold the value of offering hospitality to all, even the stranger. In Biblical times too, hospitality was extended to whoever needed it, strangers and acquaintances alike. In fact, ‘in its original form, "hospitality" combines two separate words - one meaning friend and the other meaning stranger. So, from the beginning of its usage, hospitality has carried with it the idea of making friends out of strangers’ (J Cox).

In the Biblical letter called Hebrews, there is this advice: ‘Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.’ This may be a reference to Abraham in the Old Testament showing hospitality to three visitors who turned out to be God’s representatives.

Jesus also taught the importance of hospitality, and spoke of people giving him something to eat when he was hungry, something to drink when he was thirsty, being invited in when a stranger. Of being clothed, looked after when he was sick, and even visited while in prison. Although Jesus hadn’t necessarily received these things personally, he said, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

When we offer hospitality in any of these ways, God is pleased.

Sure, it may be risky. Strangers after all are strangers. We don’t know anything about them, so we don’t know if we can trust them. When we show hospitality to the stranger, we should ensure that we offer hospitality sensibly, and with some safeguards in place.

But if we totally dismiss the idea because of the risk, we exclude the opportunity to learn, to make new friends, and to receive the rich reward and blessing that seems to accompany the hospitality experience.

In his book Outlive Your Life, Max Lucado writes: ‘Hospitality opens the door to uncommon community. It’s no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result: healing. When you open your door to someone, you are sending this message: ‘You matter to me and to God.’ You may think you are saying, ‘Come over for a visit.’ But what your guest hears is, ‘I’m worth the effort.’”

May we each learn to live with open hearts, and open homes.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

Breaking Down The Walls

On November 9^th, 2013 it will be 24 years since the fall of the Berlin wall.

Construction of the infamous wall began in the dead of night one August in 1961 to separate West Berlin from surrounding East Berlin and East Germany, and probably to halt the large numbers of people wanting to leave East Germany at the time for the democratic west. Just past midnight, trucks with soldiers and construction workers started tearing up streets that entered into West Berlin, dug holes to put up concrete posts, and strung barbed wire all across the border between East and West Berlin.

Imagine how shocked the people were when they woke up next morning. What had once been an open border was now fenced off. No longer could East Berliners cross the border for operas, plays, or sporting matches. Approximately 60,000 commuters couldn’t head to West Berlin for well-paying jobs. No longer could families, friends, and lovers cross the border to meet their loved ones. Whichever side of the border one went to sleep on during the night of August 12, they were stuck on that side for decades.

In 1989, amidst a changing political scene, and significant civil unrest, it was announced that East Germans would now be free to visit West Berlin and West Germany and the gates were opened on November 9th. Bit by bit the wall was chipped away by souvenir hunters with sledgehammers or hammer and chisel, before finally being removed totally by earthmoving equipment in 1990.

The fall of the wall brought freedom. And it brought great joy. Families were reunited, relationships restored. Two separate territories eventually became one.

Some two thousand years earlier, another wall came down. The barrier between God and mankind – sin – was torn down as Jesus paid the penalty with his death, and we were all reconciled to God through the gate of forgiveness this opened up. The forgiveness was not just for the Jews, but for all people – men, women and children of every race, creed and socio-economic group on the planet. His death brought freedom, and reconciliation, and subsequently joy.

Walls and barriers that divide are terrible things. Yet we seem good and creating metaphorical walls between ourselves and others, particularly those that are different to us in one way or another. And I’m sure this saddens God.

Don’t erect walls. Don’t divide or section yourself off from individuals or groups of people. We were all created equal. God loves everybody equally. You don’t have to agree with everybody, or even like everybody, but once the wall goes up it gets so hard to bring down.

And most importantly, don’t separate yourself from God. Keep your face turned towards him, living lives that are wholesome and pleasing to God. Enjoy the freedom and the joy that comes with being able to be in relationship with the God of love.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

Use By Date

One of the regular features on most of the packaged foods we purchase from our local supermarkets are the 'use-by' or 'best before' date stamped on the box, wrapper or bottle. This date gives you an idea of how long the food will last before it loses quality, or in some cases, for health and safety reasons, the date by which the food must be eaten to be assured of being safe for consumption.

Shoppers are becoming more and more aware of use-by dates, and will look to purchase items with the latest use-by dates to purchase the freshest, and give the longest time to use the product before it spoils.

However, foods still need to be properly stored to remain fresh and safe. It’s no good leaving a carton out of milk out in the sun, and then wondering why it is sour when still a few days within the use-by date!

As I get older, I wonder what my ‘best before’ date is. In physical terms, I’m past my ‘best before’ already, as I get slower and stiffer and take longer to get over bumps, bruises and minor ailments. But in many aspects of life I think I’m still managing to improve, or at least not get worse. Perhaps my driving is an exception!?

I think for many of us, our hope is that our ‘best before’ is some time in the future.

And for all of us, our lives have a ‘use-by’ date. Only problem is that none of us know when that will be - when our heart will stop beating and we take our final breath on this earth. With that being the case, shouldn’t we put a bit more effort into enjoying the days that we have while we have them?

Shouldn’t we all love more deeply, forgive more quickly, listen more carefully, speak more words of encouragement and affirmation, knowing that today could be our last?

In the book of Ephesians in the Bible, it encourages us to ‘be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.’ (Ch 5: 15-17)

The Lord God wants us to do things like love, forgive, to act compassionately, to seek justice, to care for others and for our earth, to be grateful and to give thanks. Good things. Positive things. From our hearts.

May we each do our best to make this world a better place, before our ‘use-by dates’ are up.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

Don't Get Lost

These days, it should be a lot harder to get lost.

With the invention of the GPS, or Global Positioning System, our cars can now be fitted with SatNavs or Tom-Toms or  Navmans that we can input our desired destination into, and it will actually audibly direct us when and where to turn to reach our journey's end.

GPS receivers use signals from satellites which orbit the Earth at known positions. Each satellite has a unique identification code and sends a signal which the GPS receiver software can use to calculate the distance from the device to that satellite.

The software can then pinpoint the device’s location on a map.

But the applications of GPS have extended beyond our vehicles to our wrists, via watch-type devices, or to our smart phones. Theoretically, we can always know exactly where we are, and be able to plot a course to where we want to go.

This all presumes, of course, that the mapping that has been done is accurate. I’ve heard plenty of stories of people’s GPS devices trying to take them through the middle of paddocks, or along streets and roads that don’t exist, or big trucks finding themselves at a dead-end in a narrow street. A mis-spelling when entering a destination last week had my maps ‘app’ trying to send me to England instead of a neighbouring suburb.

As well as accurate maps, the other variable for arriving correctly at our chosen destination via GPS is our willingness to listen and obey the instructions. Recently I thought I knew better than my English-accented friend, so continued to ignore his advice and just went my own way (which I still say was quicker!)

When we think of our lives, our human existence on the earth, all of us one day will come to an end, a destination, a finishing point. While some are preparing for an afterlife spent in a coffin, or as ash kept in a jar or strewn in a favourite place, I’m preparing for an afterlife spent in a place called heaven. That’s my chosen destination. My course is being plotted with the help of The Bible, God’s ‘map’ for living fruitful lives on earth and eternal life in heaven. It is a ‘lamp for my feet and a light for my path’. It steers me onto the Jesus road and ‘leads me in the way everlasting’. I know where I’m headed, and thanks to the Bible, the best way to get there.

Perhaps you’re wandering aimlessly through life, either unsure of your destination, or ignoring the voice on your GPS directing you towards eternity. Maybe you’re feeling lost, or without a purpose. Set your destination, trust in God’s map, and trust God’s voice. And one day, when your earthly journey has ended, you’ll hear the words “you have arrived at your destination”.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

The Coach

The quarter time and three quarter time breaks in an AFL match can be almost as fascinating to watch as the game itself.

The body language of the players usually reflects the pattern of play in the preceding quarter as they either trudge towards where their coach and trainers are gathering, ‘the huddle’, or they run energetically accompanied by back-slaps.

Some initial words of wisdom may be spoken, players take a drink or get attention to injuries or sore spots. Then comes the coach’s address.

For some reason, what the coach has to say to his players is a source of immense curiosity. In the professional ranks, spectators aren’t allowed onto the playing field, so knowing what is said remains a mystery. Even the TV cameras, which are allowed just about everywhere else these days, aren’t allowed to film what the coach says in the huddle. Hence the curiosity.

But on suburban grounds, large crowds will often gather around the team to listen to the instructions, encouragement or admonition of the coach to his players. Every player’s eyes are fixed on the coach; he has every player’s attention; it’s a time to focus on what is being said. They want to know what advice the coach gives for the situation, what the strategy is to come out on top, what the instructions are and what part they each have to play in this team game.

At junior football it’s a slightly different story. While the huddle still happens, while the crowd still gathers, while the coach still offers instructions and encouragement, it is usual for the attention of the young boys to be all over the place. Partly because they struggle to receive instruction without accompanying pictures, but mostly because they couldn’t really care what the coach was saying. They are easily distracted. Many of them seem more interested in what is going on around them, who is doing what, where mum is standing etc. They just want to run back out and get on with the game. Little less talk, little more action please.

Most of us plough through life the same way – we don’t want advice, we don’t want instruction, we don’t to be critiqued – we just want to get on with playing the game of life how we want to play it. We’re not so concerned about how we might best fit and contribute in a community sense – we just want to get a kick ourselves. We are often easily distracted by what everyone else is doing, and have no real interest in receiving instruction.

What if there was an all-knowing ‘coach’, who had prepared a book of instructions that gave us all the advice for living a good life we would ever need? What if this ‘coach’ knew all about us, and outlined for us what was going to work best for us, and for the ‘team’ of the community around us? What if by taking a quick break from the action every now and then, we could listen to his words and use them to bring out the best in ourselves?

God is my coach. And I take a break from the action every day to read his instruction book, the Bible. It instructs me, critiques me, advises me and encourages me. I just need to stop, focus, hear what God says, and then go and put it into action. And I find it helps me get the best out of myself.

Perhaps if you’re struggling a bit, finding the going tough, not getting a kick, playing below your best – it might be time to seek out the ‘coach’ for some instructions. Join in the huddle at a local church, grab yourself an instruction book and go kick yourself some goals.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

The Best Beauty Treatment

As someone not really keen on needles, I haven’t ventured down the path of being injected with Botulinum toxin type A, more commonly known as Botox.

Those who had received Botox injections were largely a subject of derision some years ago, but the practice of having this toxin injected into our faces is now not only acceptable, but a desired and regular practice by a growing number of people worldwide. Wikipedia estimates have the global Botox industry growing to $2.9 billion by 2018.

While some of this is for genuine health matters, much of it will be injected to smooth out the wrinkles in foreheads and eyes and lips – wherever we think our face needs a touch-up, in search of a more youthful look. Treatments can last as little as six weeks to as long as eight months, but ultimately, to keep up appearances, botox injections must become a regular feature in that person’s life.

There are some potential side effects, and the substance itself is actually pretty nasty. Produced by bacterium, it is one of the most acutely toxic substances known, with the potential to cause botulism if used incorrectly. But that doesn’t stop people from trying it in their attempt to look better.

In the Bible is the story of the selection of a new king. God directed the prophet Samuel to go to a man named Jessie’s house, where God said he would show Samuel which of Jessie’s sons to anoint as the new king. The first son he saw was Eliab, a strong and handsome young man, and Samuel thought this had to be the one. But God said, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.”

From God’s perspective, what’s on the inside far outweighs our external appearance.

Wanting to look good is not a bad thing, it’s just not as important as how we look on the inside. We are willing to pay big dollars and make certain sacrifices to look beautiful, but are we prepared to do anything about having a beautiful heart, a beautiful character?

Instead of injecting ourselves with toxins, we should be injecting our lives with love, patience, compassion, unselfish kindness, faithfulness and self-control.

This is the work of the Spirit of the God. When you turn towards God and walk in tune with Jesus, this spiritual work of character refinement and enhancement begins. For some like me it’s a slow process, others get some miraculously instant results.

For all it’s a journey of continuous soul beautification.

And the side effects of this beauty treatment are all good.

And there’s no needles!

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

A New Thing

Sitting atop a chest of drawers in my bedroom are two old fashioned porcelain vases. Covered in a floral design, with a couple of chips here and there, these two vases sit by side as ornaments, much to my wife’s chagrin.

“Can’t we get rid of those ugly things?” she constantly asks.

My oft-repeated reply of, “No. They belonged to my great grand-mother,” is always met with the question “so?”

So – why do I keep them? I paused to ponder this very deep question recently. Why should the fact that these vases once belonged to an ancestor I never met or knew have enough relevance for me to hang on to these things (which are rather ugly, and worthless)? Why too do I keep things that once belonged to grandparents and parents, unable to ever contemplate throwing them away, as if to do so would be an insult?

My wife simply thinks I’m a hoarder, and points to the box of old newspapers, my junior sport medals and folders full of old football cards as evidence.

I guess with the family heirlooms it’s more of a case of wanting a link to the past. A heritage. An acknowledgement of those who have come before me, without whom I wouldn’t exist. Something tangible that connects me to my ancestors.

But the danger exists for all of us of getting stuck in the past. Nostalgia can get a powerful hold on us and prevent us moving forward. Many people today get mired in the hurt, bitterness or grief of past days, and it can be hurtful and harmful. Or they look so fondly back to the ‘good old days’ that they become rancorous or defeatist about the present and the future.

In the Bible, the prophet Isaiah records God as saying, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

A belief that God is continually at work creating and bringing about new circumstances and new opportunities and new experiences – ‘new things’- is what gives the Christian hope and a sense of excitement of what lies ahead in life. It frees us from the past. We are much easier able to ‘let go’ and just ‘let God’.

We don’t get dragged down by our past failures or hurts so much, because we know that our mistakes are forgiven and something new waits just around the corner.

When you become a follower of Jesus, it’s just like becoming a new person. The past is the past. And you can leave it there. You can move forward in freedom. The old is gone. No longer relevant.

But… when it comes to family heirlooms?

Hmm – the vases - I think I’ll hang on to them, for a little while longer anyway.

Sorry, dear.


www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington