Embracing Radical Hospitality: A Call to Shine Christ’s Light
As Christians, we are not only encouraged but required to practice hospitality. By opening our doors to those who may not know Christ, we have the opportunity to shine His light in dark places. This call to radical hospitality is not a suggestion, but a mandate that can transform lives and communities.
A New Creation through Union with Christ
Through our union with Christ, we are made new. We are redeemed, forgiven, and adopted as children of God. This transformation requires us to die to ourselves and our sinful tendencies, embracing a life of repentance and obedience. As Rosaria Butterfield notes, “We come to Christ with nothing—we bring nothing useful for our own salvation.”
Radically Ordinary Hospitality: A Reflection of Authentic Christianity
Butterfield’s book, “The Gospel Comes with a House Key,” equips Christians to use their homes as a means of showing the world what authentic love and faith look like. Radically ordinary hospitality is not about grand gestures, but about embracing the mundane and using our homes as a tool for ministry. It’s about seeing our homes not as our own, but as God’s gift to use for the furtherance of His kingdom.
The Jesus Paradox: Living in the World but Not Like the World
Jesus set the example for us by dining with sinners without sinning with them. He lived in the world without being of the world. This paradox is at the heart of radically ordinary hospitality, which requires us to engage with people from different backgrounds and worldviews without compromising our values.
Embracing Diversity and Building Relationships
True hospitality is not about being embarrassed by differences, but about embracing them. It’s about building relationships with people who may not share our views or values. By doing so, we create opportunities for the gospel to be shared and for lives to be transformed.
Preparing for Ministry in Our Own Unique Way
Knowing our personality and sensitivities does not excuse us from ministry. Rather, it requires us to prepare for it differently. We must be willing to adapt and find ways to use our unique gifts and talents to serve others.
Using Our Homes for Ministry
Let God use your home, apartment, dorm room, or community space for the purpose of making strangers into neighbors and neighbors into family. This is the point of radically ordinary hospitality – building the church and living like a family, the family of God.
Starting Small but Starting Now
Radically ordinary and daily hospitality is the basic building block for vital Christian living. Start anywhere. But do start. By embracing this call to radical hospitality, we can transform lives, communities, and the world around us.
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