"This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond." Rumi

Lately, I have been a part of several circles that have been discussing the concept of hospitality, of welcoming, particularly as it relates to the church. If you are a part of a church community, you know that, like most communities, they are often organized around similarities rather than differences. We tend to hover with our own kind. It helps us feel safe, right, and is, frankly, less messy than inviting everyone to the party. There are less arguments over theology, less conflict over how finances are distributed, fewer questions about who gets to do what, and most importantly, we all agree on which hymns are best. This arrangement makes life simpler.

Unfortunately, this may not have been what Jesus had in mind. At least for those in the Christian church who find our model for leadership in this radical proponent of hospitality, we are missing the mark by sticking with sheep whose fleece is just like ours. If we follow his lead, we’d be opening our doors to the lepers, the prostitutes, the outcasts, the poor, the homeless, the odd, those possessed by all manner of demons. It was his way…or some might say, The Way.

Welcoming is risky business, but then again Jesus was about risky business. Inviting every person into our community brings both gift and challenge, but ultimately an opportunity for a fuller picture of the face of God. Inviting every experience into the ‘guest house’ of our lives opens us to growth, to a new way of encountering the Holy, to becoming the person we were meant to be.

What kind of newness is knocking at your door this day? What unexpected visitor has come for tea? The invitation is to welcome them in…..all of them…and be open to their guiding. To do so may lead to ‘some new delight’!