Hospitality for the Ages

 

 

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have

entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2

How many of us are older that we feel? In my mind I am still young, energetic, and ready for action. My reality (which apparently is different than my “mind”) is that friends are starting to retire.

I am told that Facebook is all ours now. Younger people don’t want our recipes and remedies laced in with their social interactions with their peers. That’s ok with me but I am not sure how Facebook feels about it. Their future is leaving for other social media venues where their comments are anonymous.

Despite all of our “social” connections these days it would appear that we have forgotten how to actually socialize with others. I recently talked to someone who moved to this area after being away for many years. She and her husband have found a new church where the preaching is good and opportunities to study are there.

But she misses fellowship. As an older couple they have come at a time when those in the church their age already have established relationships and don’t seem interested in new people. The new couple has volunteered and taken positions in ministries within the church but relationships they are forming seem to stop at the church door.

We want to point our older fingers at the next generation. We say they don’t know how to have a face to face conversation. We question why young people want to be anonymous on social media. We accuse them of having forgotten the benefits of hospitality (some have entertained angels unawares!).  We claim they look down at their phones and don’t interact with others in a loving manner.

I’m finding I have to often remind myself that I need to look in the mirror and not just point fingers. Is that where our generation is today? Is that where I am?  Do we need to look at ourselves?  Do I need to check myself? In our mobile society as older people move close to us to be near their relatives or they retire to the area where we live, will they be excluded from fellowship with others in the body of believers because they haven’t always been here?

Have we done so much ministry in our lives that we feel we don’t need to “show hospitality without grumbling”? (1 Peter 4:9)

The other way to look at this is the old adage that the phone rings on both ends. Perhaps the people who are well established would welcome some new company, they just hadn’t thought about it. Because we are new does not mean we are not the ones who should show hospitality. The blessing can be ours to entertain in our homes or ask others to join us when we go out.

This topic is dear to me because my husband and I have had the experience of moving to a new church at an older age. It is hard to break in.

Hospitality knows no age limits, young or old. If, like me, we are older than we feel, or like some, we feel every day of our age, are we willing to continue to serve the Lord with gladness as we serve His people? Especially if they are new to us, but not to Him!