Journal

Henri Nouwen on Hospitality

Posted on August 11th, 2005, in the evening

I've been thinking a lot about hospitality recently. I'm more and more conscious of its value as a gift, but sadly also my own lack in both ability and (worst of all) inclination to offer it. My life is often so full of ideas, opinions, activity and agendas that I find it hard to make the space in my life to welcome others.

Henri Nouwen talks about hospitality at some length in his book Reaching Out. That book is both in challenging me with the problem, and helping me take steps towards the Christ-like hospitality I'm beginning to aspire to. His central observation on the subject is that a move is required in our hearts from hostility to hospitality. There are really dozens of paragraphs I could quote that are getting to the heart of things for me, but here's one illustrating the problem that seems to have particular resonance in these times:

In our world the assumption is that strangers are a potential danger and that it is up to them to disprove it. When we travel we keep a careful eye on our luggage; when we walk the streets we are aware of where we keep our money; and when we walk at night in a dark park our whole body is tense with the fear of an attack. Our heart might desire to help others: to feed the hungry, visit the prisoners and offer shelter to travellers; but meanwhile we have surrounded ourselves with a wall of fear and hostile feelings, instinctively avoiding people and places where we might be reminded of our good intentions.

Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out