Give rest to each other

“‘Hospitality’ as a word today is more often associated with ‘industry’ than with personal or community behaviour… Advertising tries to teach us to link ‘rest’ with a holiday somewhere hot, a luxury purchase, an indulgence, me-time (and perhaps we need some of that sometimes). However, we also need to be careful to avoid having a too commercialised or individualised understanding of what rest is. There are many kinds of rest (physical, mental, emotional) but to truly experience most of these does require the creation of a social space that allows it. 

‘Come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11). Rest is given i.e. it isn’t just something to be purchased and we can’t always claim it for ourselves. We can, though, give rest to each other by living in the spirit and creating restful spaces of hospitality. This requires some spiritual courage on our part… To keep our hearts and doors open and to keep a place by our fire for an unexpected visitor who needs shelter, company, a cuppa.”