Hospitality Served on a Platter
August 24, 2024
“Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” ~ 1 Peter 4:9 NRSV
Locked out!
As you can see from the photo above, we were not happy. This is the backstory: During my recent trip to Atlanta, my son Seth and his daughters Anne-Sophie and Marie-Helene shared a connecting hotel room with me. After breakfast and getting to see Seth in action welcoming a crowd of 700 people to the Healthy Fathering Conference, we went back to our rooms before setting out for the Coca-Cola Museum. That was when I discovered that my keyless entry card was not working. We went to the concierge desk for help. After several tries to recharge the card, a trip to my room for her to try the lock, and a visit by a security officer to try to open the door, the problem was identified. I’d left the dead bolt lock on in my room as I exited through the adjoining door, locking myself out. The concierge told me that it would take some time to get the lock opened, and told me to return to her desk after our tour.
We got back to the hotel around noon and went straight to her desk. She had new key cards, plus a promise to have the chef bring a tray of cookies and beverages at 4 pm! I was floored! I’d inadvertently caused a big problem for her and security, and she was providing a treat for us. Although she was not born in our country and we had to work through some language difficulties, she demonstrated the best of hospitality, southern style, to strangers in need.
Shortly after 4 pm there was a knock on the door, and a server with a white napkin over his forearm arrived with a tray filled with three oversized chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven, plus small bowls of chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, and mini chocolate chips. All this plus two bottles of OJ, milk and water, right to our room. Her hospitality was embodied in perfect treats for two girls and their Nana. It was certainly not deserved, but given nonetheless to strangers without complaining. That is hospitality. That is grace.
That’s the kind of hospitality that graces the stories of scripture from Abram and Sarai feeding three strangers, to John the Baptist encouraging abundant hospitality to strangers and enemies, to Jesus offering his very self to demonstrate God’s love.
We dug right into the treat, even though dinner was just around the corner. Anne-Sophie’s smile says it all.
Image the impact that hospitality to strangers could make in our world. Homemade cookies is a good place to start.
Thanks be to God, and to God’s agent at the Atlanta Omni. ~ Anne
Two cookies down, one to go!
Wayfinding 