From Dr. Richard Mouw's Convicted Civility and Interfaith Dialogue article in our summer issue:
"True hospitality carries with it an element of vulnerability. When Jesus showed hospitality to people whose lifestyles and ideas he strongly opposed, it got him into trouble with the religious leaders of his own day: “The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?’” (Luke 5:30). To be sure, those religious leaders were guilty of quite a bit of self-righteousness. But we can at least understand something of their concerns. When we show hospitality we are often taking some risks."
When I think of the word "hospitality" outside a theological context, images of hosts inviting guests into their homes appear in my mind's eye. I can see a family providing a homemade meal for friends passing through town. Fresh, clean towels and linens might await such guests. After getting cleaned up from travels, perhaps there is a good conversation in the living room while sipping on coffee or tea. What these image communicate are a warm generosity, implying hospitality as a happy gift to the guests, not the hosts. With these images, the definition of hospitality would imply it is in fact the host's honor to have the guests, though convention would say the honor is the other way around. After all, the guests are the ones getting free room and board. Thus, what hospitable hosts provide is anything but a power play; it is a kind of vulnerability in that it is a service.
Thus, when I prepare to shift this notion of hospitality into a more explicitly theological context, including interfaith dialogue, I find myself wondering what it looks like for my actions to show I am a servant, a person happy to give up a struggle for power or being right. I wonder in what ways this provides God space to teach all of us something about Himself.
Additionally, if we agree that God enters into such vulnerable conversations, I wonder what is involved with preparing our mindset and actions to be vulnerable in such interactions. Hosts do not act out of fear, safeguarding their house in case their honorable house guests decide to steal or damage their belongings. They say "My house is your house!" It might be a cliche, but its meaning is quite vulnerable. Thus, what does a commitment to this kind of hospitality look like for interfaith dialogue? In what other ways does the notion of hospitality help frame the importance of a certain disposition in dialogue? Are there aspects of hospitality that do not translate well into healthy dialogue?
