Reflection on learning biblical hospitality in ministry

I have benefited and learned so much as I participated in learning biblical hospitality in ministry class. A few highlight of the insight I have learned from the course.

1. God as Host

I have never thought that hospitality happened even right at the creation of the world. In Genesis 1:1-31, when I read it, I would always take it as God is the creator of the world, he provided us food, prepare the ground and the living environment. I would always take it as it is how God created the world, I just need to take note of it, don’t need much thinking. However, my thought was challenged to think that God as Host, He extended His hospitality to human, by choosing to create human at last. As a Host, God need to prepare the earth, to make sure that it is suitable for human living. God ensure that there are enough provision of food, and human are protection.  That is my God, as a Host to me. A deeper conviction has grown in my heart ever since. Through this creation story, I see how God provided, and protected. In every household, there is a rule, same thing, God has given rules for human not to eat fruits from certain tree. However, man broke the rules. As a guest broke the rules, host would have to ask the guest to get out of the house. Even though man was chased out, God is still make sure that man have enough to survive. As I was meditating on God’s provision and goodness during creation time, I have this deep conviction that all that I have come from God. My God provide everything I need, my food, my protection and my shelter. From the beginning, My God has already a Host to us. Furthermore, as we are created in God’s image, naturally, we are expected to exhibit this character to extend and represent God in our hospitality to others.

2. The presence

During the class, we were asked to select an Art piece and comment on the Art piece. These Art pieces are drawn by different people during different era. The artist may have certain impression of God, and they drew according to their understanding. I observed that how impactful it can be when the Art piece speaks the truth into man’s heart. In particular, I was impact by this art piece. This art piece is about Christ and Zacchaeus (1913) by Niels Larsen Stevns (Randers Museum of Art, Randers, Denmark). In Luke 19:4-6, “⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.  ⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.” Personally, I was impacted to observe that everyone in the picture was rushing, their feet are not on the ground. But, the only person that stood there and both feet on the ground was Jesus. Jesus was giving Zacchaeus his full attention. One of the important point for showing hospitality is giving attention to the people. Jesus has shown me the example how He did it. It was just amazing. The Lord Jesus Christ grace is for all the people including tax-collectors. Jesus embraces sinners, this is how I can learned hospitality from Jesus. I asked myself question: how long is my table? To what extend I could embrace others? In my capacity as a teacher, how do I extend grace to my student? What are the ways that I could let my students know that they are important and they could sense. One of the important way is to address students by name, remember their details, discipline students in private, and praise students in public.

3. Intentional marginality

This is a new concept. The intention of intentional marginality is to get myself into other’s shoe, see things from others’ perspective, by becoming a stranger myself, so that I could empty myself, and feel how other felt. I was challenged how do I practice intentional marginality? Upon reflection, I could understand why I kept falling so sick over this month, from Christmas Eve till now, I have not fully recovered. I am someone seldom fall sick, and could not identify with people who always sick for months. By having this sickness, I guess, I am now in a better shoe to understand those who are ill, their feeling, and their pain. What would I do to help them to ease their pain?

In conclusion of my learning of these 2 weeks, it was fantastic. I got to solely depend on God’s mercy and grace to complete my assignments. I sensed God’s hand in extending His healing to me while classmate prayed for me. It is God’s embracement and God’s hospitality.