Reading
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” Instead, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink, for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:9-21
Reflection
Whenever I struggle with anger and feeling that I have been grievously wronged I turn to Romans 12:9-20, Here the Apostle Paul helps reorient me to my mission as a Christ Follower: namely to share love in the name of Jesus.
Reflecting on this passage the great writer Henri Nouwen, first reminds us that we must get our own house in order. He calls that the first characteristic of a spiritual life. Then he adds:
“Its second equally important characteristic is the movement by which our hostilities can be converted into hospitality. It is there that our changing relationship to ourself can be brought to fruition in an ever-changing relationship to our fellow human beings. It is there that our reaching out to our innermost being can lead to a reaching out to the many strangers whom we meet on our way through life. In our world full of strangers, estranged from their own past, culture and country, from their neighbors, friends and family, from their deepest self and their God, we witness a painful search for a hospitable place where life can be lived without fear and where community can be found. Although many, we might say even most, strangers in this world become easily the victim of fearful hostility, it is possible … for Christians to offer an open and hospitable space where strangers cast off their strangeness and become our fellow human beings.” Henri J.M. Nouwen, Reaching Out (Fount, 1998), 43.
I love that concept, ‘hostilities converted to hospitality.’ As Christ Followers, may that always be our goal.
Prayer
Today my Savior, help me turn hostility to hospitality. Keep me from repaying evil for evil. Let me be a reflection of your love. Amen
