Lessons on Hospitality: Making Every Day Beautiful in the Neighborhood

What if the greatest impact we can make and testimony we offer the world is in the resiliency and faithfulness required to consistently love our neighbors?

It has been such a distracting and disappointing season for so many complicated reasons. I think we can all actually agree on that! Everyday some new crisis is shouting at us, grasping for our eyes and ears through our handheld devices and the evening news… for those who still watch. We have a choice to pay more attention to the crisis of the hour unfolding at an impossible pace or we can limit the noise and practice giving the people closest to us and in our circles the gift of our presence and attention.

I wonder if one of the reasons that God said loving your neighbor was the second greatest commandment was because it is the way we are most effective in bringing His Kingdom to earth in the context of our community. It is simple, but it isn’t easy by any means because it requires love that perseveres, uncomfortable interactions, and at times real effort. This way of living forces us to focus on what’s happening in the places where we are planted and steward the relationships we’ve been given. It’s much easier to escape to another world where we can ruminate and speculate instead of actually putting our faith into action by caring for what’s going on in the lives of the humans we’re rubbing shoulders with… at work, at church, the grocery store, on our very own street, and in the lively text threads we’ve got going on.

I have heard from more than a few friends about the loneliness they are experiencing in this particular season and I’ve experienced it myself. I find it interesting though that all of these people are in such different life stages… but are all struggling to find the space to connect. I wonder if it’s because of how distracted we are by the things happening outside of our control and community (not to mention the challenging circumstances we’re facing personally on the daily.) Could we be feeling overlooked, and isolated because our eyes are not on what we’ve been given to steward? What if the solution to disconnection is as simple as vulnerably extending an invitation again and again to that friend you’ve been trying to connect with for months or maybe it’s just saying yes to that invitation that you’ve already been given, but haven’t been able to justify saying yes to. What if connection really is as simple as saying hello and striking up a conversation with a new or old neighbor? Or could it just be staying consistent with checking on and replying to your best friend’s text and audio messages, although they no longer live close by and it’s easy to fall into the out of sight out of mind trap.

I was reading a post Sarah Bessey wrote recently and she reminded me of this very thing,

“You are working the muscles of perseverance and selflessness, of service and dogged hopefulness. You are a sticker. You’re not someone who shows up when it’s easy and leaves when it’s time to dig in. You are committed to seeing mountains move.

On these days, you turn again to the holy reminder: hold fast.

You are not undone by powers and principalities or politicians. You are choosing to love God and love your neighbor, this is the whole deal…”

I have spent a bit of time working in the Hospitality industry in recent years. I absolutely love the gift that hospitality offers the world in both personal and professional settings. I believe deeply that it’s a way to gift more people the sense of belonging, connection, and healing they deserve. But I have been asking myself which context creates greater impact; The intentionally-designed dinner or experience that scales to serve a large audience or the personal interaction I had this week with a neighbor or dear friend that left us both feeling more understood and cared for. There is of course a place for both! However, six years post-covid I think I still sometimes settle for thinking that I have a hall pass to the unseen and intimate forms of hospitality that my life is begging me to practice. It can be much easier at times to host an event for a large group of people and dismiss the duty of intentional one-to-one interactions in the interest of serving the group instead of seeking to meet the needs of each individual.

Will Guidara in his book, Unreasonably Hospitality, shared this sentiment that’s stuck with me,
“In a world obsessed with efficiency, hospitality is about slowing down - even just for a moment - to make a connection.”

One of the kindest and most hospitable things that a neighbor has done for our family in a long while just happened. A bear tore into our garbage cans stuffed full of trash from our recent move and left it strewn all over our front yard. What a welcome to the neighborhood that was! I’m sure our new neighbors were thrilled! Surprisingly, as soon as my husband headed outside to clean up the mess an incredibly kind and servant-hearted neighbor joined him. It was 7:30am and barely light outside thanks to the time change. It’s been a minute since someone we hardly knew offered to help clean up a mess for our family’s sake. I can assure you that the trash that’s generated by our family of six (including a toddler in diapers) is not for the faint of heart, but only for the bravest of souls. God bless you, Mr. Keith!

This realization that faithfulness in this season for me just boils down to my willingness to pay close enough attention to those closest to me to know when they need me to come carry and even clean up a bit of their metaphorical trash. It might be running an errand, bringing a meal, dropping off coffee, helping them move, or just making time to answer that phone call and have a quick or lengthy conversation. It’s these small acts of showing up for the people God’s hand-placed around us that I think will make the greatest positive impact in our families and communities.

No one practiced the art of neighboring better than Mr. Rogers, and so I’ll leave you with his jingle, hoping that you’ll sing along and that the words will guide you to who you’re being called to love on today.

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood
A beautiful day for a neighbor
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood
A neighborly day for a beauty
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

I have always wanted to have a neighbor
Just like you
I've always wanted to live in a neighbor-
nood with you,

So let's make the most of this beautiful day
Since we're together, we might as well say
Would you be mine, could you be mine
Won't you be my neighbor?