Welcome!
The core of Hospitality is the ability to make welcome. To give to another an experience of inclusion and acceptance, with just a pinch of delight!
The recipe for authentic welcome is simple. Eye contact, a genuine smile, appropriate physical touch, words spoken directly and with sincerity. Contact!
We know without a doubt when we’ve experience welcome regardless of how it’s expressed. I love the song from the musical Oliver:
Consider yourself well in.Jesus taught welcome by parable, by directive, and by model. Think of the welcome given by the anxious father to his prodigal son. Remember the words the king says to the chosen ones at his right hand. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). And Jesus himself, after his resurrection appeared to his disciples offering them a hot breakfast after a long night of fishing.
Consider yourself part of the furniture…
Welcome is equally wonderful whether given or received. If our hearts are open, we can be available for both experiences. God’s welcome is always present and unlimited.
“No more a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home” (Hymn 172, My Shepherd Will Supply My Need).
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