Yesterday, we went to a new restaurant for dinner. It was recommended to us by a native of the area with the promise of good food and, “a little bit of everything.” Since we were using our vacation time to explore places in our area, we decided to give it a try.
The menu was just as diverse as the young man promised. The food, well it was less than great, but still good. What was seriously missing was service. The moment we walked in, the hostess treated us like we were an inconvenience and finally found us a table. The waitress seemed friendly, but was mostly absent and frequently forgot to return with items we requested. Even when she ultimately remembered, there was no apology or sense that it was wrong.
It wasn’t the first time I’ve had bad service and I am sure it will not be the last, but as I reflected on our experience, I began to think about how valuable hospitality really is. Our attitudes and actions make a big contribution to the experience people have of us, of our families, churches or jobs. They even affect the way that others experience God.
When we claim a relationship with Jesus Christ, our lives need to be a witness to that relationship. People need to be able to see the power of grace at work in our lives. Our experience of the love of God should translate into love for those around us, not just in our heads and hearts, but in our words and deeds.
Sometimes, when I am “clergyed up” (as a dear friend refers to me when I am in my professional garb), I find that I am more attentive to what I say and do because people will notice the uniform and make assumptions about me, my church or even God. It is usually in these moments of awareness, that God reminds me that such a level of attention to how I represent Christ in my life should not happen only when I am in a clerical collar, but should be the way that I live every day of my life.
Of course, being God, he is right, but it is not just a reality for clergy, it is a truth for all who claim a relationship with God. Our lives should exude the hospitality that invites, welcomes and cares for everyone we meet.
Our waitress was just, “doing her job,” but the likely result is that I will never return. This happens not only in restaurants, but in our lives as well. One experience changes the way people see us, and ultimately, see God.
Throughout our vacation, we also met people who obviously love their job and who understood what hospitality means. They represented their place of business well, but they also represented themselves well, and it made all the difference. We have an opportunity to do likewise. We are entrusted with the truth and the very Spirit of God and today is a good day to let people experience that in their lives.
I wonder sometimes how much we actually encounter “real” hospitality in our day. There’s bad service, and “normal” service, and the kind of over-marketed over-practiced imitation hospitality that you get when you go to a tourist destination. But the people you describe, who love their job, their place, their home and life, and just want it all to overflow in goodness to you? Not sure how much that exists. But it should.
I question how much that exists as well, yet I agree, it should. I know I am not always there, but I strive for that. There will always be part of life, work and family that will not be exactly what we hoped for or expected, but I believe it is possible to love what we are given and make the most of that. I don’t want to get to the end and wish I’d lived it differently.