In the Form of Strangers

Genesis 18: 1-10a

I had a conversation with someone about the state of the world and how it feels like things recently have been the worst that it’s ever been. We came to the conclusion that perhaps that was not true. The difference now is that the horrors of the world can be livestreamed to a tiny computer in our hands. Regardless of whether the increased availability of information causes it or if things really are worse than we can remember, it can lead to a sense of powerlessness. It can also lead us followers of Christ to question, “How long, O Lord?” When will God’s kingdom come to earth so that it will be as it is in heaven?

This story from Genesis shows us that there are still things that we can do to hasten the reign of God, to provide a glimpse of the Kingdom in the midst of the horrors we see playing out now. Abraham and Sarah’s act of radical hospitality provides a counter- narrative to the cruelty we witness these days. Dominican Sister and Old Testament scholar Carol Dempsey, OP, writes, “Abraham’s hospitality that he extended to strangers calls us to view and respond to strangers…as guests rather than enemies.”**

When we welcome the stranger – regardless of what makes them strange to us – we mirror the hospitality that Jesus offered so often in the Gospels. When we welcome the stranger, we give witness to the heavenly banquet that accompanies Christ’s final victory. We can do this on a personal level and as a community. This story of Abraham showing radical hospitality to these three strangers invites us to contemplate whether we have a hospitality of heart or a hardness of heart.

When we feel powerless to change anything in our world, when we feel helpless to offer kindness, know that a simple act of hospitality and welcoming mirrors the loving kindness of the God we worship. It can change the world now just as it did when Jesus invited strangers to come to Him.

Prayer

Gracious God, You came to Abraham in the form of strangers, and he welcomed You with open arms and a generous heart. Teach us to do the same—to see Your image in those who come to our door, to serve with joy, to give without hesitation, and to listen with hearts ready to receive. Amen.

Rev. Dana Ezell

** Long, Thomas G.. Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship: Year C, Volume 3, Seasonafter Pentecost (pp. 165-166). (Function). Kindle Edition.