“When it grew late, his disciples came to [Jesus] and said, ‘This is a deserted place and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may now go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ But Jesus answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.'”
—Mark 6: 35-37
Several weeks ago this text was the topic of our Bible study in what we call “Tuesday Church.” Most of the participants depended upon others to provide their daily meals. This often meant walking distances from place to place carrying bags and most of what they owned, standing in lines and arriving early to guarantee a place at the table, “signing in,” and having very little choice in what you were going to eat that day. In our prayer together, I will share the insight offered that day from the people of The Welcome Church; but for this day, what do you think Jesus meant when he said, “You give them something to eat”?
In its original form,” hospitality” combines two separate words: one meaning “friend’ and the other meaning “stranger” Hospitality is a word where friend and stranger are joined together.
How will you show hospitality this day? What will be the hospitality offered you?
God of this new day
Creator of the morning light
Open wide my heart to receive all that you will send my way
help me to see others as a never ending opportunity
to see You
to accept the welcoming gestures of this day
even when I think I have no need
and fill me with
an awareness of my own hunger
for your love, grace and mercy. Amen.
