Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
- Nehemiah 8:10

The poor and the vulnerable should always benefit when the people of God gather to celebrate. No one should be left out because they have less. Radical and reckless hospitality challenges us both to welcome all and to show up even if we have few goods to offer to the festivities.

Nehemiah’s commands to the people included a clear directive to share. Those who have the resources and the foresight to have choice food and sweet drinks on hand for a party are challenged to initiate acts of generosity, not just to respond to requests. And those who had nothing prepared would have been encouraged to expect generosity from their neighbors.

This behavior fits so well with our aspirations as a community. We want to be a noble cedar church where all kinds of people are welcomed and loved. We long to be marked with a Christ-centered and Christ-like hospitality. Those of us who struggle to make ends meet want to believe that we’ll be welcomed wholeheartedly. Those of us who have plenty want to believe that we’ll respond hospitably. We excel at this as a church. But it is a challenge.

Our natural drift is to lock our doors if we have nothing prepared, to say, as CS Lewis wrote: “I’m not asking for anybody’s bleeding charity.” And our natural drift if we’ve already stockpiled our choice foods and sweet drinks is to imitate those seagulls from Finding Nemo: “Mine. Mine. Mine.” The Lord’s work in our hearts is to turn us back toward community in healthy and generous ways.

Where do you need to be more open to sharing with those in need? Where do you need to be more open to receiving from those who have more? How can our church grow in this area?