For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. – Acts 28:30

Today's Scripture Reading (April 5, 2021): Acts 28

As the angels, who had just visited Abraham, entered the ancient city of Sodom, they were confronted with xenophobic leadership that wanted nothing to do with anyone new. Lot decided to offer at least some hospitality to the strangers, but it was an unwelcomed action for the people who lived in the city of the plain. I am convinced that we should not read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 without first reading the story of Abraham and the strangers in Genesis 18. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah has little to do with homosexuality, even though we seem to have made same-sex sexuality its central theme. The main theme of Genesis 18 and 19 is a different "H" word; hospitality. It is about hospitality that is extended in Abraham's case and about hospitality that is withheld in the story of Sodom.

In the church, we are often quick to extend judgment on the LGBTQ+ community, often citing Sodom and Gomorrah as our reason why. But every time we do that, implicating the story of the Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain, we are proving that we never understood the story in the first place. And, maybe, our churches would be fuller if we were as quick to condemn those who refuse to extend hospitality in our midst. Along with love, hospitality is one of our faith's key demands; hospitality that is given even to those who are not like us.

Paul understood that. Taken to Rome under armed guard, he arrived to find that the demands on Caesar were many, and he would have to wait patiently for his time to speak to the king. And so, Paul sets up his home in a rented house. He likely returned to his trade as a tentmaker to support himself during this time. And he extended hospitality to anyone who passed by his house.

His hospitality was even extended to a runaway slave named Onesimus, the property of a slave owner named Philemon. He would have several talks with the slave and eventually even wrote a letter to his master, which we have preserved in our biblical text. The letter pleads for mercy, asking that Philemon extend his hospitality to his former slave. Paul writes these words to the slave owner, Philemon;

Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me (Philemon 1:8-11).

 The letter was an act of hospitality that Paul had extended, even as he waited under guard to be judged for his crimes; hospitality that is demanded from all of us by the faith that we share with Paul.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1