Hospitality is my thing.
Ask my partner, whom I probably drive crazy because I constantly want to
have people over for dinner. Just this
past weekend we hosted dinner for three strangers in something called mealsharing. (More on that next time) There
are few things that give me such delight as inviting people into my home and
offering food, conversations, and laughs. I’m no Martha (and I don’t worry
about the perfect centerpiece) but I enjoy making sure everyone feels welcome. I don’t know where my drive for hospitality
comes. I didn’t grow up in a family that threw large dinner parties. I didn’t grow up attending them either. Somewhere, somehow an ethic of hospitality
was deeply instilled into my soul and I consider it a spiritual practice.
I see life revolving around the practices of hospitality – the generous reception and
entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers.
This could mean striking up a conversation with the cashier as you check
out at the grocery store, saying ‘good morning’ to the guy you pass by on the
street, or picking up the lost dog that’s roaming the neighborhood.
Living and sharing hospitality is a way of life. I have often found my own city of Raleigh, NC
to be hospitable. I encounter people
saying “hello” to each other when walking by.
Just last week, Jay of Jay’s Italian ice, a pushcart across from
Beasley’s Chicken and Honey, kindly struck up a conversation with me and gave
me a hug before we parted ways. It made
my day. Raleigh is host to wonderful
events from the World Beer Festival to OUT! Raleigh and it’s not at all unusual
for the server at some of my favorite downtown restaurants to bring a bowl of
water for my two Goldens. So I was not
at all surprised when I found out that Raleigh was recently listed as one of
the nations top 10 most hospitable cities.
What a great honor!
However, this may not be your experience if you are among
Raleigh’s most vulnerable population. I
was just shocked to hear that Love Wins Ministries, a nonprofit that provides
hospitality to those experiencing homelessness, was kicked out of Moore Square
last Saturday and threatened with arrest if they handed out biscuits and coffee
– an act of hospitality they have been doing for over six years without any
such threat.
This story has received national attention, perhaps because
many of our nation’s cities have been struggling with what to do with the
“homeless” population. Seen as a
nuisance, our most vulnerable have seen an increase of resources decentralized,
laws imposed to outlaw homelessness, and access to feeding programs cut
back. For cities such as Raleigh, where
billions of dollars are invested, these “untouchables” are an eyesore and not
good for business.
I work with Love Wins Ministries. My work there has allowed me a glimpse into
the lives of those Jesus called “the least of these”. It is easy to judge the poor, people in
section 8 housing, people on welfare and Medicaid. It is harder to take the time to listen to
their stories. Stories of a life of
working in manual labor jobs, resulting in knee problems and needing to seek
out disability. Stories of compassion
where sons and daughters have left good paying jobs to move to North Carolina
to care for their mothers and fathers and now cannot find work. Stories of people, who made poor decisions
when they were young, have paid their time in prison, and are now trying to get
back on their feet in a city with limited shelter space. Stories of people with mental illness who
need psychiatric help but end up in jail.
Most importantly – these are stories of human beings, not homeless, or untouchables, or those people. Human Beings with real names: Rocky, Ashley,
Roger, Anthony, Robert, Mike, Devon, Shon, Cassie, Darrell, Isaiah, Jeanette,
Kevin, Joe, Alicia, Ski, Curtis……
It is my dream that I can live in a city (and country) that
is hospitable to all people, no matter their lot in life. I want to live in a city that is compassionate and works in realistic and tangible ways to work with those who are experiencing homelessness - not pretend the issue doesn't exist. I want to live in a state that doesn't cut unemployment benefits and in a city that doesn't criminalize people's compassion when trying to feed those who now have even less.
Hospitality is more than just about feeding
people. It is about creating a safe
space for all to call home, a place where everyone’s voice can be heard, where
resources are shared and everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Hospitality is a choice. What will you choose?
