Love of brothers and strangers

"Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body" (Hebrews 13:1-3).

The language of "entertaining" angels paints a particular picture in my mind. In the 1950s "entertaining" was a specific social function in which your parents invited to your house for booze and "cha-cha" the people who had invited them before. Mental bookkeeping was kept. I recall that they would throw their coats on my bed, while yours truly was in it.

Hebrews 13:1-3 talks about two groups of people you, Christian, can and should "entertain." One is the people you prefer to be with. C.S. Lewis describes the scene:

"Those are the golden sessions; when four or five of us after a hard day's walking have come to our inn; when our slipper are on, our feet spread out towards the blaze and our drinks at our elbows; when the whole world, and something beyond the world, opens itself to our minds as we talk; and no one has any claim on or any responsibility for another, but all are free-men and equals as if we had first met an hour ago, while at the same time and affection mellowed by the years enfolds us. Life---natural life---has no better gift to give. Who could have deserved it?"

The other group is the group you, um, don't want to be with. Perhaps not necessarily because they are not your cup of tea but because you have not tasted that kind of tea yet. They are the first-timers at church, the people who just moved into the neighborhood, the new guy at work.

It comes out neater in the Greek. The verse presents two distinct obligations: "philadelphia" (love of brothers) and "philoxenia" (love of strangers). God tells us through the author of Hebrews that we would do well to develop both kinds of love. After all, God himself sends his sunbeams down on the righteous and the unrighteous---on the people in the "inside" group and those in the "outside" group.

"Philadelphia" love is wonderful but it does tend to have a downside---pride, exclusivity, snobbishness, and a corporate sense of superiority to people outside the circle. The problem with that is God's love is a love that always wants to enfold more people within its embrace. Therefore, the author of Hebrews hastens to add to his exhortation to philadelphia: philoxenia. He gives us a starter list of folks God has in mind: "strangers," "those who are in prison," and "those who are mistreated."

It gives you a new focus when you walk into church on Sunday. Instead of worrying about whether your seat is taken, or if you look good, you scan the room for people who appear to be lonely or miserable. I read in the Philadelphia Inquirer recently that the third leading cause of death among teens is suicide. So chances are there is someone in your congregation who could use a little random act of love---whether philadelphia or philoxenia.

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