Dining with Strangers

Published: April 3, 2020, midnight

b'The mall food courts in Guatemala City are very different from those I visited in the US. When I came back from four years away from my country, one of the first outings we had was to the mall. Mall runs and window-shopping are common practices among most city folk in Guatemala. We especially like doing this on Sunday afternoons. Food courts get packed\\u2014to the point that families usually have to split up to find a spot to eat. It\\u2019s crazy, and I bet many of you reading this are already cringing at the thought.\\nThe layout of these food courts is pretty interesting. Tables are all touching each other, basically creating twenty-people tables. There is no room to separate them, so\\u2014whether you like it or not\\u2014you usually eat lunch with strangers.\\nAnd that brings us to today\\u2019s Bible passage. Shortly after Jesus\\u2019 resurrection, Jesus appeared in disguise to two of His disciples, walking along the road to Emmaus with them. Even though Jesus was a stranger to these disciples, they still invited Him over for dinner at their place. Jesus accepted and ate with them. And He broke the bread! When that happened, the disciples recognized Him\\u2026 and then He vanished.\\nIs it too bold to say that maybe by having lunch with strangers\\u2014even at such a common place as a food court\\u2014we might be dining with Jesus, welcoming Him to have lunch with us? Is it even crazier to think that when others are hosts to us, we might recognize Jesus in them?\\nHospitality is an opportunity to show and remember Jesus\\u2019 love and presence. It\\u2019s a chance to recognize and proclaim that Jesus stepped in to dwell with us even when we were estranged from Him (John 1:14; Romans 5:8). \\u2022 Andres Lopez\\n\\u2022 As Christians, how can we (safely) welcome the stranger among us into our lives? \\n\\u2022 How can you reach out to the outcasts in your school?\\n\\u2022 Who is a trusted Christian adult\\u2014such as a camp counselor, pastor, or youth leader\\u2014you can talk with about what practicing hospitality looks like?\\nDo not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nLuke 24:13-35'