Today I went around to a friend’s place to take her out for a mocha coffee. It happened to be around lunchtime as that was when she arrived home from a prior engagement, and the time we had arranged. On discovering I had not had lunch, she welcomed me in to share the meal she had prepared for her husband and herself.

Friendly, welcoming hospitality.

I have recognized that my description of hospitality in this blog started with what I thought hospitality is NOT. I guess my stance initially was a reaction to the in-your-face food snobbery and competitiveness found  in recent television food shows and blogs, but also subtly experienced in day to day life.

A definition from Merriam Webster dictionary:

1 : generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests : hospitable treatment

My experience and reading of the Bible (hmmm maybe future post on Bible references) leads me to believe that kindness in welcoming and providing (food) for strangers or guests  is to be  done freely with no grudge or sense of obligation, without show, or hints and complaints at trouble or expense gone to; without any sense of one-up-manship or competition.  I reckon this is as equally applicable to church gatherings as  in your own homes.

Oh, and lunch was really nice!