Hospitality in the Dark

Last week as I sat in our dark house in Lusaka, Zambia, I began to doubt saying YES to hosting a group of medical interns to our house that evening.  “But we don’t have power. I don’t know if they will be able to flush the toilets. All I have to serve them is water and popcorn. We can’t do hospitality in the dark!”

It had been a long day.  We had Family Day in Chawama about an hour away from Family Legacy’s property.  After getting back at 16:30, I still needed to get everyone cleaned up and make dinner before our guests arrived.  As we hurried around, my doubts started.  “Are they going to even like being here?  Will it be awkward for them to be here with just the battery and solar lights? Should we just cancel?”

As I thought more about the situation, I was reminded of my own words.  “Hospitality is more than the food that we eat together or what our home looks like.  Hospitality is about coming together and sharing life together.” (See my article about creating a culture of hospitality HERE.) 

That is exactly what we had to offer — life together.  As the team of five filed through the door, I started to apologize for not having power, but I stopped myself. “It’s ok.” I thought. “This is our home.  God provided it for us.  The team is not here to inspect it.”

After giving them a brief tour of the place, we comfortably settled on the couch and passed around bowls for popcorn and cups with water.  The conversation was sweet as they asked about our time in Zambia. We recounted stories from the good old days and about how good God was and is.  It was sweet for our souls. 

We didn’t do anything fancy.  We certainly didn’t have our best China, but the fellowship was sweet and simple.  That’s what happens when you strip away the fluff. You get down to the heart and the things that truly matter in life. 

The Life Lesson

Don’t miss out on the blessing of biblical hospitality due to your current conditions.  “I’ll invite them over after we repaint the living room.”   “We can’t have THEM here; their house is WAY bigger than ours.”  “I can’t cook as well as SHE can. They would never want to come here for dinner.”

All of those are just petty excuses.  When did Biblical hospitality need to include those things? God instructs us to be hospitable. It is for the one who has much to share and the one who has little.  The fellowship of sharing life together is beautiful, even in the dark! So, stop making those excuses and do it. Be hospitable… nothing fancy… maybe even bring out popcorn and water!

Do find being hospitable easy? Have you ever experienced hospitality in the dark? Share in the comments below ways that you make hospitality a rhythm in your home.