Christmas hospitality

My friend Tim recently told me about his best Christmas memory.

I was in college and became friends with a student from Ghana whose father was a high ranking government official in that country. Shortly before Christmas there was a military coup in Ghana and many government officials, including my friend’ father and some of his family members, were thrown in jail. It was a very sad time for him and he was lonely and forlorn, thinking about the upcoming holidays.

Impulsively, I invited my friend to come home with me. We always have a big family gathering and I figured one more mouth to feed wouldn’t make much difference. My friend gratefully accepted and I called ahead to tell everyone the story of my friend and to expect him for dinner.

After we ate, the extended family gathered around for gift giving. My friend found an inconspicuous corner to sit and quietly observe. His musings were interrupted when one of my little cousins brought him a gift. In surprise and wonderment, he smiled and accepted it. Then another gift was given to him. Then another. Bewilderment spread over my friend’s face. Soon, he was overwhelmed with both emotion and gifts from various family members. He ended up with fifteen presents---more than anyone else.

Finally, he stood to his feet and cleared his throat. Tears were streaming down his face as he stammered how thankful he was for the unexpected hospitality and gifts. But we were the lucky ones. By giving to him, we gave a great present to ourselves “the gift of Christmas hospitality.”

Tim’s story is a good reminder to us all about the importance of showing hospitality at Christmas. Rev. Bruce Goettsche offers these helpful simple suggestions for showing hospitality at Christmas.

1.Make time for those who grieve during this season. A strange thing happens during the holidays. When you have suffered a great loss it seems that either: people stay away or they act as if nothing has happened. Send a card, make a phone call, invite them to dinner. They will appreciate the fact that someone cared.

2.Prepare some questions to ask others as you stand in a check-out line. Things like: “How's your shopping going?” or “Doing anything special for the holidays?” Use this “wasted time” to show hospitality and kindness to strangers.

3.Turn strangers into friends. Challenge yourself to learn the first names of people you come in contact with on a regular basis. As you go through your daily routine, introduce yourself to the clerk at the dry cleaners, the bank teller, or the waitress. Begin greeting these people by name and talking with them about Christmas

This Christmas, some people will be lonely. Some family tables will have empty chairs because of death, divorce, imprisonment or military service. Not everyone has family with whom to celebrate the holy-days. You can make a difference in the lives of those around you by showing Christmas hospitality. It’s the gift you give yourself.