p. 13 | Untitled article by MRS. I. H. E.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jul 29, 1915

Home Ideals — No. 4

By MRS. I. H. E.

HOSPITALITY is an essential characteristic of the ideal home. The spirit of welcome and kindliness will be therein an almost visible presence. Even the inanimate features of some homes,—the yard; the porch; the very doors and windows, open and inviting; the comfortable chairs,—all soothe and cheer those who enter.

We are told that the word hospitality means “the spirit, practice, or act of receiving and entertaining strangers and guests without reward and with kindness and consideration.” From this we can see that hospitality does not consist alone in receiving as guests our friends and those whose companionship we especially enjoy; it goes farther, and graciously receives the stranger, the outcast, the poor, and the forsaken.

In his earthly life the Master drew about him the lowly and humble. He knew their sorrows, and was afflicted with their afflictions. Ever he bore them on his heart; and he looks to his followers to walk in his steps. “When thou makest a feast,” he says, “call the guest, the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed.” Even a cup of cold water, the least possible tax on even the most slender resources, if given in the name of Jesus, brings a reward to the giver. And we are assured that even as Lot entertained angels in the guise of passing strangers, so we as Christians should not be slack to entertain, not knowing always who our guests may be.

There is an old saying to the effect that “ye ornaments of a house are ye guests who frequent it.” If we bear in mind that in our Father’s house no distinctions will be made as to worldly honors or wealth or position, and look below these exteriors to the need which is the real call to hospitality, we shall see something of the true meaning of these words. The guests of a home often give as richly as they receive. Gratitude, helpfulness, faith, and good cheer are ornaments to any home, and these are often contributed in large measure by those who have only a temporary place beneath its roof.

The most enjoyable hospitality is that which does not display any unwarranted expense. A Chinese will impoverish himself and his family for years, in order to provide a bountiful wedding feast or an elaborate funeral, even enduring actual privation in order to make an impression on his friends and neighbors on these occasions. This idea should have no place in the Christian home. Few things are more painful to one who is sharing the hospitality of another than to feel that his host is spending means beyond his ability and providing food beyond his income. It is not the abundance of good things that makes the guest glad, but the sincerity of the welcome he receives, and the consciousness that his presence is not a burden to those who have opened their home to receive him.

In order really to enjoy the society of those who are being entertained, the hostess must study simplicity, and let cheerfulness and calmness dwell within the heart. No abundance of food, no elaborateness of decoration, no provision for entertainment, can make up for the hearty welcome, the feeling of being wanted, that gives the truest satisfaction to the guest. The visits we remember longest are those where there has been time for social converse, where host and guest could talk face to face through long, unhurried hours.

Hospitality holds a high place among the virtues to be cherished and cultivated among the followers of Christ. Paul exhorted the brethren at Rome that they should be “given to hospitality;” and Peter commanded, “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” In the qualifications enumerated as necessary for a bishop, we are told among other things that he must be “given to hospitality.” This grace is a privilege, to be sure; it is also a duty,—a duty that cannot be ignored by Christians, nor can its requirements be met by well-wishing and apologies. Neither poverty nor inconvenience nor unpreparedness can be a reasonable excuse for the failure to exercise hospitality.

Sometimes it seems (perhaps it is only seeming) that the generous, open-handed hospitality once characteristic of our early believers is passing, and, half unconsciously, we are drifting into a self-seeking, worldly condition. This should not be. As we approach the end, the virtue of hospitality should be more and more developed, especially toward those of the household of faith. Shall it not be that this grace shall so increase in the homes of those who read these lines that wherever a Seventh-day Adventist home is raised, it shall be known that all in need may find welcome and protection and help beneath its roof?

MRS. I. H. E.