"Let mutual love continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."  --Hebrews 13:1-2

These two brief verses from Hebrews offer two essential directives to Christian community: 1) continue to love each other in the community of faith; 2) love the strangers.  I think that Incarnation attempts to live out these directives, and that we need the ongoing guidance and agitation of the Holy Spirit in our midst and within our souls to deepen these two expressions of love.

"Let mutual love continue."  The Greek word in the text translated in the NRSV as "mutual love" is philadelphia, which means love of the brother.  I may be biased as a Green Bay Packers fan, but I don't think that Philadelphia has lived up to its name as a city.  Local expressions of the Church, including Incarnation, also need to struggle with this high calling for brothers and sisters in Christ to actually love each other.  As the writer of I John reminds us, if we cannot love the brother or sister whom we can see, how can we claim to love the God whom we cannot see?

"Show hospitality to strangers."  The Greek word in the text translated in the NRSV as "to show hospitality to strangers" is philaxenias, which means love of the strangers.  The hint that we might be entertaining angels without knowing it is a mysterious incentive to love of strangers.  Biblically, "strangers" normally refers to non-Hebrew immigrants.  In Hebrews, the word may also refer to wandering Christians, made homeless through persecution or called to travel to proclaim the Gospel.  In our context today, we invite the Holy Spirit to warm our hearts to all strangers who are in need.  A Christian community is never enclosed upon itself.  It reaches out with hospitality rooted in genuine love and compassion, not out of some ploy to build the ranks of the membership.

May we deepen our love for each other and for all who come to us as strangers, especially those in need.

"Let mutual love continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."  --Hebrews 13:1-2

These two brief verses from Hebrews offer two essential directives to Christian community: 1) continue to love each other in the community of faith; 2) love the strangers.  I think that Incarnation attempts to live out these directives, and that we need the ongoing guidance and agitation of the Holy Spirit in our midst and within our souls to deepen these two expressions of love.

"Let mutual love continue."  The Greek word in the text translated in the NRSV as "mutual love" is philadelphia, which means love of the brother.  I may be biased as a Green Bay Packers fan, but I don't think that Philadelphia has lived up to its name as a city.  Local expressions of the Church, including Incarnation, also need to struggle with this high calling for brothers and sisters in Christ to actually love each other.  As the writer of I John reminds us, if we cannot love the brother or sister whom we can see, how can we claim to love the God whom we cannot see?

"Show hospitality to strangers."  The Greek word in the text translated in the NRSV as "to show hospitality to strangers" is philaxenias, which means love of the strangers.  The hint that we might be entertaining angels without knowing it is a mysterious incentive to love of strangers.  Biblically, "strangers" normally refers to non-Hebrew immigrants.  In Hebrews, the word may also refer to wandering Christians, made homeless through persecution or called to travel to proclaim the Gospel.  In our context today, we invite the Holy Spirit to warm our hearts to all strangers who are in need.  A Christian community is never enclosed upon itself.  It reaches out with hospitality rooted in genuine love and compassion, not out of some ploy to build the ranks of the membership.

May we deepen our love for each other and for all who come to us as strangers, especially those in need.