Let's ask these 7 Churches of their opinion.
Hospitality Towards Guests
Finally, today, I saw Rochelle Harper on the 5:00 p.m. Coverage of Newswatch 13. Having a friend like Rochelle Harper Band on FB brought back great memories of learning hospitality in formerly communist and currently socialist countries of East Europe in the summer of 1990. She was joining protesters to demand rights from the select religious leadership that have large platforms of division based of a birth difference.
I saw a man holding a bible as he threatened Rochelle's team of supporters for the rights of freedom to the gay community, with the invitation of Sodom and Gomorrah spoken from his breath.
I hope you are willing to listen to a well accomplished Nelson Bible salesman that listened to people of many religions, and I am here to say that it has been made all about building and preserving the empire through the convenient misinterpretation of God's will. Always reflect on the words of the emperor, “Divide and Conquer, the land and the people.” Americans are so divided and conquerable through misinterpretations of God's word. Could the Romans (who took over early Christianity teachings) have twisted a Judaism story to preserve their empire and create a division of the people? Conspiracy theorists that know the history of world banking, churches and the name "Rothschild" know all about profiting from division of people and land. Financing wars is one of their goal.
My Story:
Many of my friends could not understand why I was so driven to save the travelers/strangers visiting the Mississippi-Gulf-Coast from in-hospitality as I witnessed throughout the national chains and most casinos. “You are not making money at this, move on,” was a common request from associates of mine as I prided my company for helping develop four downtown economies with brochures. As a world traveler in countries with no government in place, and a person with a caring spirit of brotherhood, I was always motivated by the visitors' needs of local information.
As an accomplished 2 year bible salesman in the Carolina's, I learned to respect people of different beliefs. As a Catholic, I was challenged. Following Katrina, I learned that her name means (Blessed, Pure, Holy), and I knew the greatest evil I could have ever imagined was a Mississippi Gulf Coast accommodations tax that focused on confusing guests and marketing FL, AL and New Orleans. After receiving internet hook-up, I googled "Hospitality=Religion" and began to see this horrific tragedy as the result of God;s fury with the people of South Mississippi for refusing to read Mathew 9; 9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
As a fighter for the traveler's rights, I fear God's wrath if we fail to lead people to focus on serving the stranger, and outlaw tourism taxes. As they say in old Hindu, “Atithi Devo Bhava,” (The Guest is God). Greek law of “Theoxenia” claims, that if you ever play host to a deity and perform poorly, you will inherit the wrath of a god. Jesus spoke of hospitality, not homosexuality.
The executive director, of tourism taxes, Stephen Richer claimed to be Jewish, as he explained Hanna ca with Brad of WLOX TV 13, and won many Christians of the area's as trustworthy. At Holiday Inn Gulfport at March 1999's Hotel-Motel Association meeting, where there was a full attendance, he announced his endorsement of "Where Magazine of New Orleans" to cross-market our proximity to New Orleans. The magazine had hit the bedside table in practically every accommodation, as my brochures in the lobby lay dormant in the lobby. Immediately, the small businesses cried, and downtown merchants accused me of no longer supporting their downtown, as tourists shortened their stay. Later, when I e-mailed Brad and asked him to recognize on TV this action against the economy of Mississippi Gulf Coast by this proud Jew that arrived from Princeton with his superior education in "tourism economics", Brad defended his judgement to not report this crime against humanity, as President of Beth Israel and reported me to his boss as a racist. I guess that since they can receive $$$$$$$$$$millions in advertising sales from this social program that undermines capitalism and freedom of the people. One day, Americans will see the media self destroy any and all integrity.
After reading the following definition by the understanding of Sodom by a Rabbi, rather than a filthy rich American preacher, can you still follow a leader who taxes strangers, destroys careers of marketing professionals with that stolen money and leads locals with the Mark of the Beast, 228-8-9-666-99? When Mississippi's democratically elected government made these taxes permanent in 2005 with no testimony of past achievement, God's wrath was emanate. The time is now to chase out the evil and demand immediate PRIVATIZATION of tourism taxes, with plans for complete elimination in the near future. Lets deliver hospitality to the stranger. Forward this on your representatives and governor for a lesson from the good book. Read my stories on www.tourismguru.blogspot.com or go to HospitalityHank on You Tube.com and watch an old creation “Crimes Against Humanity “. Look on FB Mississippi Gulf Coast Map to realize that real leadership starts with the rights of the capitalist in a Republican State. Support my cause to stamp out economic sodomy; call today to support a great cause. Please like my FB Page Mississippi Gulf Coast Map or www.mississippigulfcoastmap.com.
The destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
This week's parashah is Va'yera. Within its verses we find some of the most familiar, and troubling, stories in the Torah. For Va'yera contains within it the stories of the Akeidah (the binding of Isaac on Mt. Moriah), the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael by Abraham and Sarah, and the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is on this last narrative that I would like to focus my d'var torah for this week.
In our contemporary lexicon the phrase "Sodom and Gomorrah" has become synonymous with extreme depravity and immorality, with a particularly sexual connotation. Within the narrative in Bereshit it would seem that sexual immorality is only part of the evil of Sodom. Contrary to popular usage it is also clear from the reading of the narrative that it is not homosexuality that is the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah (though Jerry Fallwell and others might disagree). The people of Sodom did demand that Lot (Abraham and Sarah's nephew) hand over the strangers in their house (actually messengers of God sent to tell Lot of the impending doom) so that "we may know them," which is clearly a sexual reference in terms of biblical Hebrew. However, what makes them sinful according to our Sages is not sexual desire or lust, but rather their desire to abuse and humiliate other human beings because they are strangers in their midst. The two messengers could just has easily have been women and the people's response would have been the same. The Sages teach us that only the wealthy were welcome as guest in Sodom. The poor were to be expelled or killed.
We read in Midrash Pirkei Eliezer (a collection of rabbinic homilies collected in the 3rd and 4th centuries in the land of Israel) that any resident of these cities who attempted to give food or aid to a poor person was subject to death. As a matter of fact, this same midrash tells us that Lot's daughter was convicted of giving bread to a poor person each time she went to the well for water and, as the people began her execution, she cried out to God. It was this cry that reached God and prompted God to send the messengers (angels) to Sodom and Gomorrah to see if their sin was as great as her cry would imply.
In his book of Torah commentary "Jewish Values in an Open Society", the economist and business ethicist Meir Tamari writes about the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah as the sin of Economic Egoism. He reminds us that according to our Sages the greed and desire for wealth on the part of the residents was insatiable. Anyone who got in their way, such as a poor person who might ask for some of their money or food, was expendable. All common human decencies were anathema to the Sodomites. This even affected Lot who, thanks to being raised by Abraham and Sarah, still knew to offer the strangers - angels hospitality. Yet he was still willing to give over his daughters to satisfy the people's sexual lust rather than hand over his guests. Our Sages taught "it is the custom of the world that a man is prepared to kill or be killed in order to protect his wife and daughters, yet this one [Lot] is willing to give his daughters over to sexual abuse." (Midrash Tanhuma, Bereshit 36). Even Lot had begun to take on the characteristics of his neighbors and so he needed to be rescued before he and his family became just as depraved as the remainder of the residents.
The callousness of the residents that was so infectious was based on this desire to always have more for oneself - more money, more land, more jewels, more servants. No thought was given to what others had. No one cared about helping those less fortunate. "What's mine is mine and what's yours is yours" was the ethic of Sodom and Gomorrah (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers 5:11). At first this would seem to be a sensible and harmless ethic, and yet it places the emphasis on individual possessions and financial gain and ignores the demand that we care for all of humanity. Tamari reminds us that, unlike the Talmudic belief that certain urges decrease when they remain unfulfilled and others, such as hunger, increase when unfulfilled, the urge for monetary and material gain increases when one has less and when one amasses more if left unchecked. This leads to that sense of economic egoism of which Tamari speaks.
We all remember the legendary greed of the 80's as epitomized by the line from the movie "Wall Street" that "greed is good." We remember the collapse of the Savings and Loan industry that was, in part, fueled by this greed. We all know of pyramid schemes and other scams that are the result of the greed of certain individuals. Today we see all too well what greed can do as we watch the collapse of Enron and other corporations as well as the drastic decline of the stock market.
One might say that the latter is merely a corrective that was bound to happen and that is has nothing to do with greed - and one would be correct. However, the extent of the decline and the other collapses in our economy have in part been brought about by the greed of some which then spread many. For one central lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah is that the cities were destroyed not because of the sins of a few individuals, but of the society as a whole. Not even ten righteous people, the minimum to constitute a community, could be found in the cities. The entire community had become selfish and evil, and so they brought about their own destruction.
This story can serve as a warning to us today. I still believe that humanity and society is basically good, and that most people want to care for those in need. But I also believe that the desire for wealth and security, which is a natural and healthy drive, can overtake us if we are not careful. It is this desire in its extreme form that brought about the destruction of contemporary "communities" such as Enron and others. We must be careful that it does not infect more communities or society at large. The collapse of Enron and other current economic and societal woes should serve as a wake-up call and a warning, just as I'm sure the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah should have to surrounding cities, as well as to Lot and his family.
May our society heed the warning and remember that serving others in need and the community at large is just as important as serving oneself and one's needs. If we remember to keep this balance and to avoid economic egoism - and if we remind our leaders in both the worlds of business and politics of this - then we will avoid the equivalent of the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (and Enron) for our society as a whole.
In our contemporary lexicon the phrase "Sodom and Gomorrah" has become synonymous with extreme depravity and immorality, with a particularly sexual connotation. Within the narrative in Bereshit it would seem that sexual immorality is only part of the evil of Sodom. Contrary to popular usage it is also clear from the reading of the narrative that it is not homosexuality that is the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah (though Jerry Fallwell and others might disagree). The people of Sodom did demand that Lot (Abraham and Sarah's nephew) hand over the strangers in their house (actually messengers of God sent to tell Lot of the impending doom) so that "we may know them," which is clearly a sexual reference in terms of biblical Hebrew. However, what makes them sinful according to our Sages is not sexual desire or lust, but rather their desire to abuse and humiliate other human beings because they are strangers in their midst. The two messengers could just has easily have been women and the people's response would have been the same. The Sages teach us that only the wealthy were welcome as guest in Sodom. The poor were to be expelled or killed.
We read in Midrash Pirkei Eliezer (a collection of rabbinic homilies collected in the 3rd and 4th centuries in the land of Israel) that any resident of these cities who attempted to give food or aid to a poor person was subject to death. As a matter of fact, this same midrash tells us that Lot's daughter was convicted of giving bread to a poor person each time she went to the well for water and, as the people began her execution, she cried out to God. It was this cry that reached God and prompted God to send the messengers (angels) to Sodom and Gomorrah to see if their sin was as great as her cry would imply.
In his book of Torah commentary "Jewish Values in an Open Society", the economist and business ethicist Meir Tamari writes about the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah as the sin of Economic Egoism. He reminds us that according to our Sages the greed and desire for wealth on the part of the residents was insatiable. Anyone who got in their way, such as a poor person who might ask for some of their money or food, was expendable. All common human decencies were anathema to the Sodomites. This even affected Lot who, thanks to being raised by Abraham and Sarah, still knew to offer the strangers - angels hospitality. Yet he was still willing to give over his daughters to satisfy the people's sexual lust rather than hand over his guests. Our Sages taught "it is the custom of the world that a man is prepared to kill or be killed in order to protect his wife and daughters, yet this one [Lot] is willing to give his daughters over to sexual abuse." (Midrash Tanhuma, Bereshit 36). Even Lot had begun to take on the characteristics of his neighbors and so he needed to be rescued before he and his family became just as depraved as the remainder of the residents.
The callousness of the residents that was so infectious was based on this desire to always have more for oneself - more money, more land, more jewels, more servants. No thought was given to what others had. No one cared about helping those less fortunate. "What's mine is mine and what's yours is yours" was the ethic of Sodom and Gomorrah (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers 5:11). At first this would seem to be a sensible and harmless ethic, and yet it places the emphasis on individual possessions and financial gain and ignores the demand that we care for all of humanity. Tamari reminds us that, unlike the Talmudic belief that certain urges decrease when they remain unfulfilled and others, such as hunger, increase when unfulfilled, the urge for monetary and material gain increases when one has less and when one amasses more if left unchecked. This leads to that sense of economic egoism of which Tamari speaks.
We all remember the legendary greed of the 80's as epitomized by the line from the movie "Wall Street" that "greed is good." We remember the collapse of the Savings and Loan industry that was, in part, fueled by this greed. We all know of pyramid schemes and other scams that are the result of the greed of certain individuals. Today we see all too well what greed can do as we watch the collapse of Enron and other corporations as well as the drastic decline of the stock market.
One might say that the latter is merely a corrective that was bound to happen and that is has nothing to do with greed - and one would be correct. However, the extent of the decline and the other collapses in our economy have in part been brought about by the greed of some which then spread many. For one central lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah is that the cities were destroyed not because of the sins of a few individuals, but of the society as a whole. Not even ten righteous people, the minimum to constitute a community, could be found in the cities. The entire community had become selfish and evil, and so they brought about their own destruction.
This story can serve as a warning to us today. I still believe that humanity and society is basically good, and that most people want to care for those in need. But I also believe that the desire for wealth and security, which is a natural and healthy drive, can overtake us if we are not careful. It is this desire in its extreme form that brought about the destruction of contemporary "communities" such as Enron and others. We must be careful that it does not infect more communities or society at large. The collapse of Enron and other current economic and societal woes should serve as a wake-up call and a warning, just as I'm sure the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah should have to surrounding cities, as well as to Lot and his family.
May our society heed the warning and remember that serving others in need and the community at large is just as important as serving oneself and one's needs. If we remember to keep this balance and to avoid economic egoism - and if we remind our leaders in both the worlds of business and politics of this - then we will avoid the equivalent of the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (and Enron) for our society as a whole.
Topics: Divrei Torah
The Real Meaning of Sodomy
by Nick Gier, Professor Emeritus, University of Idaho (nickgier@roadrunner.com)
For a book length study of this topic, see Michael Carden
Sodomy: A History of a Christian Biblical Myth
"Sodomy" and "sodomite" are some of the ugliest words in the English language. They of course are derived from the Canaanite city of Sodom, whose destruction along with Gomorrah is related in Genesis 19. Most people assume that homosexuality was the grounds for this divine retribution and that this is the reason that gay men have been branded "sodomites." The word itself, used as implying a sexual sin, does not appear until A.D. 395 in letters between Saint Jerome and a priest Amandus, but the details of the act and the nature of the sin are not explained.
A growing consensus about sexual orientation is that it primarily genetically determined, so gays and lesbians may not have any choice in the matter. There are two alternative theological positions that follow from the conservative Christian position: (1) If homosexuals are inherently evil, then that means that God created them such; or (2) more orthodox and acceptable is the view that all humans are created in the image of God and all that God creates is good. Therefore, if God creates gays and lesbians the way there are, then God must intend that they are an integral part of the human community.
(On a personal note, I learned that a gay Christian student who heard me lecture on this very point discovered great solace in this simple message about the Christian view of creation. For a Unitarian with a very low Christology, it gives me great satisfaction that I can offer a Christian student pastoral guidance and new hope for his life.)
Interestingly enough, Jesus did not interpret the sin of Sodom as sexual. First, Jesus says nothing specific about the sin of homosexuality anywhere in the Gospels. He does of course speak of sexual sins, but all of us, regardless of our sexual orientation, commit a few of these. Second, when Jesus instructs his disciples to preach in the towns of Israel, Jesus warns that those who do not receive them peacefully will be judged more harshly than the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matt. 10: 5-15).
Jesus joins other ancient authorities in viewing the sins of the Sodomites as the abuse of strangers, neglecting the poor and needy, and the stigmatizing of outsiders. For example, Ezekiel says that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah "had pride, surfeit of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and the needy" (16:49-50); and the Wisdom of Solomon says that they "refused to receive strangers when they came to them" (19.14). On the other hand, an early Christian book I Clement states that Lot was saved "because of his hospitality and piety" (11.11). It is significant that when Leviticus condemns "men who lie with men," it does not mention the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.
It is true that other ancient authorities mention sexual sins in Sodom and Gomorrah, but these are usually described in a general way, such as lust, sexual impurity, fornication, and adultery. These again are sins of the many not just as few gays and lesbians. The narrow interpretation known today comes from an ancient minority report from thinkers such as Philo of Alexandria and Augustine of Hippo. The former condemned the Sodomites for "forbidden forms of intercourse" and the latter for "lewdness between males."[2] The odd point about this charge is that the object of Sodomitic lust is not male humans but sexless angels! (Those who object by saying that the Sodomites did not know they were angels miss the point: both Augustine and all of us who read the Bible know that they were angels!)
Today's conservatives appear to follow Augustine's untenable position, struck down in the recent Supreme Court decision, that only sexual acts between people of the same sex is sodomy. The Texas law was particularly insidious because in 1973 the legislature legalized heterosexual anal and oral sex (even including bestiality), but criminalized homosexuals who performed the same acts. Amazingly enough, two Catholic thinkers admit that these acts should be legal even for unmarried heterosexuals, because at least there is the possibility that their relationships might become the basis for a moral and legal marriage and family.[3]
(Some say that the Supreme Court decision is of only minor significance because sodomy laws were rarely enforced and the effect was therefore minimal. This view ignores the larger impact that these laws have had on gays and lesbians. In dozens of cases judges have used the fact that these people are presumed felons to deny them access to their children in custody battles or to conclude that they are not fit to adopt children. For an exposition of a number of these cases, see Joseph Landau's "Ripple Effect: Sodomy Statues as Weapons" in The New Republic, June 23, 2003.)
In his Summa Contra Gentiles Thomas Aquinas ranked sodomy as the worst crime second only to murder itself, because it essentially amounted to wanton destruction of a potential person. As the only proper place for the male seed is the female womb, those who masturbate, engage in oral sex, and, yes, even those who use contraceptives are all sodomites! (Until recently Oregon and Maryland included mutual masturbation in their sodomy laws.) If the sin of sodomy is the practice of nonprocreative sex, then every sexually active human being is a sodomite!
Protestant theologians generally joined Catholics in making sodomy a unique and unredeemable sin. It is interesting, however, to note that John Calvin, in his commentary on Genesis, does not define the Sodomites' sin as homosexual acts. Instead he prefers the social meaning of sodomy, reminding his readers that the Sodomites were "in the habit of vexing strangers," whereas Lot had offered them shelter and a meal. No friend of the freedom of the will, Calvin declares that God himself "impelled [the Sodomites] to their crime," leaving the rest of us to wonder how Calvinists can have any individual moral responsibility.
The brutal inhospitality of people of Sodom and Gomorrah stands in stark contrast with Abraham's generosity to three divine strangers who visit him in Genesis 18. (This, by the way, is not an allusion to the Christian Trinity, as Calvin actually implies, because the original Abraham could not have been monotheist let alone a Trinitarian. See this link for more on Hebrew Henotheism.) After feasting at Abraham's table the angels announce that Sarah shall conceive and that from her son a great nation shall arise. All that the barren Sarah could do in response was to laugh her famous laugh and to protest that it was impossible for her to bear a child. Two of Abraham's guests then proceed to Sodom where they intend to warn the residents of the impeding destruction of their city. The fact that Abraham demands that God save the lives of the innocent demonstrates that he again has concern for the welfare of strangers and, ironically, displays more generosity of spirit than his own God.
When the two angels arrive in Sodom, Lot and his family receive them warmly. The men of Sodom come to Lot's house and demand that the two visitors be handed over to them. The Sodomites' intentions were overtly sexual ("so that we may know them"), but these men were no more homosexuals than are the bullies in our prisons who rape newcomers and weaker prisoners on a daily basis. Although sexual in nature, these attacks are essentially acts of aggression against the "other," those who are weaker and those who are different.
Prison rapists are carrying on an ancient patriarchal tradition where the dominant male has the right to penetrate anyone subordinate to him--women, lower men, boys, and slaves. Arno Schmitt states that it was "the right of men to penetrate and their duty to lie on top" and that the raping "of one's slaves . . . was not only sanctioned by public opinion, but by some jurists as well."[4] Needless to say, medieval Christians were compelled to declare that the "woman superior" sexual position was also, incredible though it sounds, a form of sodomy.
The same theme of power rape appears in the story of the Levite in Judges 19. One night in the land of Benjamin a Levite and his concubine find themselves in Gibeah, where they were put up by a kindly old man. As in Sodom the men of the city come and demand their assumed right to abuse the stranger. (Alden Thompson follows many traditional readers in assuming, wrongly of course, that this was "clearly homosexual activity.")[5] The old man offers them his virgin daughter and the Levite's concubine, but the Levite insists that only his woman be taken. The men of Gibeah rape her to death and the next day the Levite divided up her body into twelve pieces and sent them to the tribes of Israel.
The Israelite leaders met at Mizpah and decided that the Benjamites should be punished for their "abomination." The fact that Lot also offered his daughters to the mob to save his guests from attack shows that the main issue here is not the abuse of women but the honor of men. (If the mistreatment of women were the issue, then Lot and the Levite were surely just as guilty as the Sodomites and the Gibeans.) In machismo culture a man preserves his honor by being "on top," but he loses it if he allows himself to be the passive partner. As Michael Carden observes: "In this world it is better that women be raped than men, because the rape of men takes away their heterosexuality."[6]
The point of these stories, however, goes beyond the destructive hierarchy of "top males." The message for our time is that those who embrace those different from themselves, such as Abraham and Lot, are blessed, while those who discriminate against them, such as the Sodomites and Gibeans, should be despised. I will let readers apply this biblical doctrine to contemporary America and discover to which group they belong.
At this point in time it would be futile to reject the sexual meaning of sodomy, but if the word "sodomite" should be reserved, if we should use it at all, for those who use sex to dominate, humiliate, and terrorize others. We should preserve and dignify the word "homosexual" for people who love others of their own sex, and our liberal democracy should protect their right to do so with the same tenacity that we do with any other fundamental human right.
ENDNOTES
1. See Mark D. Jordan, The Invention of Sodomy in Christian Theology (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998).
2. Philo of Alexandria, Abraham 134-135; Augustine, The City of God 16.30.
3. See Andrew Sullivan, "Unnatural Law," The New Republic (March 24, 2003), p. 22. I'm indebted to Sullivan for references and insights.
4. Arno Schmitt, "Different Approaches to Male-Male Sexuality/Eroticism from Morocco to Uzbekistan" in Sexuality and Eroticism Among Males in Muslim Societies, eds. Jehoeda Sofer and Arno Schmitt (New York: Hawthrone Press, 1992), p. 3.
5. Alden Thompson, Who's Afraid of the Old Testament God? (Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Press, 1989), p. 112. Thompson admits that this story is the "worst story in the Old Testament."
6. Michael Carden, "Homophobia and Rape in Sodom and Gibeah: A Response to Ken Stone," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 82 (1999), p. 90. I am indebted to Carden for ideas and references.
What Does The Bible Say About Hospitality? A Christian Study
by Derek Hill · Print Print · Email Email
Hospitality is a term that seems to be fading away in today’s culture. People are becoming much more reliant on themselves. Unfortunately, this is creating a mindset of “I don’t want someone to have to do something nice for me.” I remember growing up and going to visit my grandma. I realize now that I am older that I loved going to her house so much because of her hospitality. She always fed us three square meals a day and she let us use her home as if it were our own. She loved us through action and not just by saying “I love you.” Now-a-days, people would rather go out to a restaurant than invite people over and cook for them. Entertaining can be a chore with all that goes into it, but the benefits outweigh the pains. Let us look into scripture and see what God says about hospitality.
Hospitality Requires Kindness
1 Peter 4:9 says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” Have you ever watched someone do something because they had to and not because they wanted to? Most of the time people will neither show joy nor gladness when they are doing something simply out of duty. I remember working in the fast-food industry. I served people food all of the time. I was usually doing it out of duty because that was my job. I also found myself complaining about my job sometimes. I wasn’t being hospitable towards my customers at all. Hospitality requires sincerity and kindness. I should have served my customers with the mind-set of “I care about you as a person.”
Hospitality Should Be Shown To Everyone
Leviticus 19:34 says, “You shall not treat the stranger that sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” Every single person on this planet deserves love because we have been shown the ultimate love through Jesus’ death and resurrection for our sins. Jesus showed us the perfect model for hospitality because “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Before you and I accepted Christ, He already paid our debt on the cross. He loved us enough to die for us all. I can’t even love someone enough to give them a ride somewhere sometimes. God calls us to love everyone and hospitality goes a long way, especially to those who don’t expect it from us. So, give your co-worker a ride home, even if you don’t know them very well. Share your lunch with other people that have none. Invite some friends over to your house and entertain them. You will plant a seed that God can grow.
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Hospitality Goes Further Than You Think
God calls us to love everyone, including strangers, but you may be doing much more than you thought when you do this. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” What a phenomenal passage of scripture! When we show genuine hospitality to a stranger, we may be serving an angel of God. This is absolutely amazing! There are stories of angels appearing before men all throughout scripture, but angels still appear before us today. How amazing will it be when you are in heaven and an angel says, “thank you”, to you because of your hospitality?
Hospitality is the Velcro that Joins us Together
Hospitality comes from deep within your soul. It is a symptom of the joy that is in your heart. When you hold the door open for someone, help an elderly person with their groceries, offer to babysit for free, buy the person’s food behind you in the drive-through lane, or any act of kindness, the reaction is almost always the same. The person that you have helped will usually say, “thank you”, and they will feel good deep inside their soul because of your kindness. Doing good for others many times makes them want to do good for someone else too. It feels good to serve others. Serving others makes them want to be around you more and it makes them better people too. Look in the New Testament. Read the Gospels. Jesus is the model of hospitality. He had crowds in the thousands following Him because of His compassion for them. Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 all encompass the sermon that Jesus gave on a mountain. He came down the mountain in chapter 8 and healed a leper. Then He healed a Centurion’s servant. Then He went into Peter’s house and healed Peter’s mother-in-law. That evening He healed many who were oppressed by demons. Then He calmed a raging storm while He crossed the Sea of Galilee. When He got to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, He healed 2 men with demons. He left there immediately because He was asked too, so He went back to Capernaum and then He healed a paralytic man. After that He calls Matthew to be His disciple, and the story keeps going. Do you see what I mean? Jesus was hospitable to everyone. He had compassion to keep going on and healing the sick while spreading His story of redemption. Look at how many people joined around Jesus because of His “Velcro.”
Conclusion
Hospitality is an action of love shown to those we love and those we do not love. It is contagious and warms the hearts of those it touches. I encourage you to be as hospitable as possible while you are still here on earth. God calls us to it and He deserves our all. God bless you as you continue to live a life worthy of the calling.
Hospitality – Atithi Devo Bhava – “The Guest is God”
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back Krishna sets the example of how to receive a respectable guest. Here, in a story from the Bhagavata-Purana, he washes the feet of an impoverished brahmana.
Offering food is an important and endearing aspect of hospitality in Hindu culture.
Offering hospitality is fundamental to Hindu culture and providing food and shelter to a needy stranger was a traditional duty of the householder. The unexpected guest is called the atithi, literally meaning "without a set time." Scripture enjoins that the atithi be treated as God. It was especially important to extend hospitality towards brahmanas, sannyasis and other holy people. There are many stories regarding the benefits of offering a suitable reception and the sins that accrue from neglecting one's guests. Tradition teaches that, no matter how poor one is, one should always offer three items: sweet words, a sitting place, and refreshments (at least a glass of water). The flower garland is offered to special guests and dignitaries, as a symbol of loving exchange.
Scripture also enjoins that one should treat visiting enemies so well that they will forget their animosity. A graphic example is that of the warrior class who would fight during the day and in the evening socialise with adversaries.Westerners visiting India (and other places in the East) are often astonished by the welcoming attitude towards guests and visiting strangers, strikingly different from the Western "beware of the dog" culture.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Buddhism by Numbers: 6 Kinds of Reverence
As a Buddhist, there are six kinds of reverence (garavata) that one should endeavor to develop. These forms of deep respect have practical positive results in the context of Buddhist practice as being a more appreciative person gives rise to positive mind states. Normally, the mind can react to the various phenomena that we encounter in both wholesome and unwholesome ways. This includes such important aspects of Buddhist tradition as the Triple Gem - the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Having negative views towards the Awakened One (Buddha), for example, creates negative thoughts and attitudes that arise out of human arrogance and opinions. Being reverent towards the Buddha, on the other hand, helps to create a freer, happier, more loving mind, which is an important tool in Buddhist development. The six kinds of reverence are:
1.Satthu-garavata – reverence for the Master
2.Dhamma-garavata – reverence for the Dharma
3.Sangha-garavata – reverence for the Sangha
4.Sikkha-garavata – reverence for the training
5.Appamada-garavata – reverence for heedfulness
6.Patisanthara-garavata – reverence for hospitality
The Master (Satthu) in Buddhism is the Buddha. He is the Master or Teacher of all Buddhists, as the entire tradition, whether Thai, Japanese, Tibetan or whatever, ultimately derives from the Awakened One’s realization of enlightenment and his subsequent teachings. Being reverent towards the Master is an act of recognition that acknowledges the debt of gratitude that Buddhists should have for the man that discovered the way things are and then shared this knowledge with others. All Buddhists should know this: Without him, no us.
Reverence for the Dharma, the Buddhist teachings, is another form of appreciative awareness that any Buddhist will develop in time. Cultivating this approach to the Buddha Dharma encourages the realization of such knowledge in us all, for when we are more respectful of the Teachings, we’re more likely to put them into practice. And in the end, it’s in putting the Teachings of the Buddha into practice that will truly benefit us.
The third garavata is reverence for the orders of Buddhist monks and nuns, or Sangha. Although the order of nuns died out in Theravada Buddhism many centuries ago, we can still be grateful to those enlightened nuns, as well as monks, that have taught the Dharma to both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, assisting us to develop wisdom and compassion in our own hearts and minds. Moreover, if we accept the reestablishment of the nun's order as is happening in the world right now, we have the chance to pay respect to these modern female renunciants. The community of enlightened people (Ariya-sangha), ordained or not, is also an example to us, and is a source of great inspiration that shows that ordinary human beings realize the Buddhist Path and its fruits, not only spiritual supermen and superwomen.
The training (sikkha) comprises the rules and guidelines that Buddhists use to further practice. For monks, there are a total of 227 rules that they should (in theory) adhere to. Laypeople have it somewhat easier, with only five basic precepts to keep to, unless they choose to follow eight or even ten precepts of a semi-ascetic. I use the five precepts as a foundation for my practice. In training this person here to behave in ways that are conducive not only to personal development but also to the benefit of society, mindfulness and meditation have a more stable base from which to grow wisdom and compassion.
Reverence towards appamada, heedfulness, is a crucial element in Buddhist practice, as well. In the Dhammapada, probably the most famous piece of Buddhist scripture worldwide, it is said that, “Heedfulness is the path to the Deathless, heedlessness is the path to death.” (Dhammapada, verse 21) The Deathless is the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice, also known as nirvana. It is a freedom from all greed, hatred, and delusion, where life is seen as it is, without the interference of the ego that normally distorts our understanding of life. Being heedful of the Buddhist teachings and their application to our lives is so important for Buddhists. Otherwise, we can get caught up in all kinds of worldly and unwholesome activities, losing sight of the Path.
Being reverent of hospitality (patisanthara) is the sixth form of reverence that Buddhists are encouraged to cultivate. We can be hospitable to bhikkhus & bhikkhunis, of course, inviting monks & nuns to eat at our home, paying respect to them by giving them a good meal. Being a good host to everyone that comes our way is a fuller way to leave out this particular kind of reverent behavior. Seeing everyone as my guest, to whom I should be a generous host and make them feel comfortable and happy. Sharing the teachings with others is also an important way to be hospitable. Being reverent towards the hospitable acts of others towards ourselves is a positive state of mind as well, for in recognizing the welcoming actions of other people, we make ourselves better people.
The Messenger of Allah (s) further guides us by saying:
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be hospitable with his or her guests.”1
Our great Prophet (s) teaches us to be generous and how to entertain guests. He wants a Muslim to show gratitude and be kind and happy when receiving guests. One should respect and welcome his guests, in particular when they are strangers, or have no family or friends in that country.
It may even happen that a guest comes while relatives or friends are being entertained, or other travelers are staying and there is lack of space; or you are unprepared and have few provisions or are even short of money. In any eventuality, guests who come to your home should be made welcome, shown respect and be provided with whatever food and drink are available. One should sit with them in order to make them feel comfortable and happy, and take care to pay great attention to them.
Surely, our glorious Prophet (s) guides us towards respecting guests and being generous towards them. In this respect, he says: “Indeed whoever believes that Allah is All-Generous, Who provides for His creation and rewards those who are hospitable towards their guests, should look after his guest.”
Surely, Allah will increase our provision if we welcome our guests and give them food and drink, and will reward us on the Resurrection Day.
Allah is All-Generous, who loves the generous ones and dislikes those who are mean.
Mormon Teaching: Hospitality
Hospitality
See also Kindness ; Neighbor
wash your feet, and rest yourselves: Gen. 18:4 .
entered into his house; and he made them a feast: Gen. 19:3 .
He that receiveth you receiveth me: Matt. 10:40 .
I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Matt. 25:35 .
came down, and received him joyfully: Luke 19:6 .
barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: Acts 28:2 .
to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality: Rom. 12:13 .
bishop then must be … given to hospitality: 1 Tim. 3:2 .
he oft refreshed me: 2 Tim. 1:16 .
lover of hospitality, a lover of good men: Titus 1:8 .
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: Heb. 13:2 .
Use hospitality one to another without grudging: 1 Pet. 4:9 .
man received him into his house: Alma 8:21 .
thou shalt receive him into thy house and feed him: Alma 10:7 .
Xenia (Greek)
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This article is about the ancient Greek concept of hospitality. For other uses, see Xenia (disambiguation).
"Theoxenia" redirects here. The moth genus Theoxenia is considered a junior synonym of Ethmia.
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Jupiter and Mercurius in the House of Philemon and Baucis (1630–33) by the workshop of Rubens: Zeus and Hermes, testing a village's practice of hospitality, were received only by Baucis and Philemon, who were rewarded while their neighbors were punished.
Xenia (Greek: ξενία, xenía, trans. "guest-friendship") is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, the generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home and/or associates of the person bestowing guest-friendship. The rituals of hospitality created and expressed a reciprocal relationship between guest and host expressed in both material benefits (such as the giving of gifts to each party) as well as non-material ones (such as protection, shelter, favors, or certain normative rights).
The Greek god Zeus is sometimes called Zeus Xenios in his role as a protector of guests. He thus embodied the religious obligation to be hospitable to travelers. Theoxeny or theoxenia is a theme in Greek mythology in which human beings demonstrate their virtue or piety by extending hospitality to a humble stranger (xenos), who turns out to be a disguised deity (theos) with the capacity to bestow rewards. These stories caution mortals that any guest should be treated as if potentially a disguised divinity and help establish the idea of xenia as a fundamental Greek custom.[1] The term theoxenia also covered entertaining among the gods themselves, a popular subject in classical art, which was revived at the Renaissance in works depicting a Feast of the Gods.
Contents [hide]
1 Overview
2 In the Iliad
3 In the Odyssey
4 In the Argonautika
5 Political alliances
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Overview[edit]
Xenia consists of two basic rules:
1.The respect from host to guest. The host must be hospitable to the guest and provide him/her with food, drink, bath and gifts when they leave. It is not polite to ask questions until the guest has finished the meal provided to them.
2.The respect from guest to host. The guest must be courteous to the host and not be a burden. The guest should also provide a gift if they have one.[2]
Xenia was considered to be particularly important in ancient times when people thought gods mingled among them. If one had poorly played host to a stranger, there was the risk of incurring the wrath of a god disguised as the stranger. It is thought that the Greek practice of theoxenia may have been the antecedent of the Roman rite of Lectisternium, or the draping of couches.
While this particular origin of the practices of guest-friendship are centralized around the divine, however, it would become common practice among the Greeks to incorporate xenia into their customs and manners for very much all of ancient Greek history. Indeed, while originating from mythical traditions, xenia would very much become a standard practice throughout much (if not, all) of Greece as customarily proper in the affair of men interacting with men as well as men interacting with the Gods.
In the Iliad[edit]
The Trojan war described in the Iliad of Homer actually resulted from a violation of xenia. Paris, from the house of Priam of Troy, was a guest of Menelaus, king of Mycenaean Sparta, but seriously transgressed the bounds of xenia by abducting his host's wife, Helen. Therefore, the Achaeans were required by duty to Zeus to avenge this transgression, which, as a violation of xenia, was an insult to Zeus' authority.
Diomedes and Glaucus meet in No man's land. However, Diomedes does not want to fight another man descendant from the Gods, so he asks Glaucus about his lineage. Upon revealing his lineage, Diomedes realizes they are guest-friends. Meaning that their fathers had practiced xenia with each other. They decide not to fight, but to instead trade armor to continue their guest-friendship.[3]
Another example of xenia in the Iliad is Hektor talking to Aias. They are talking about exchanging presents so that people will remember them for dropping their hatred and becoming friends.[4] While this is not a traditional example of xenia, it does demonstrate the power of friendship in the Greek culture.
In Book 9, Achilleus invites Odysseus into his home and asks Patroklos to make the strongest wine for them to drink. Patroklos also brings meat with the wine. The men eat and have light chatter before Odysseus delivers Agamemnon's offer to Achilleus.[5]
In Book 18, Hephaistos hosts Thetis in his home. Xenia is important between humans and also between gods. Hephaistos is worried about making Thetis feel at home in his home so he lays out entertainment and puts away his tools.[6]
In the Odyssey[edit]
Xenia is an important theme in Homer's The Odyssey. Every household in the epic is seen alongside xenia. Odysseus' house is inhabited by suitors with demands beyond the bounds of xenia. Menelaus and Nestor's houses are seen when Telemachus visits. There are many other households observed in the epic, including those of Circe, Calypso, and the Phaeacians. The Phaeacians, and in particular Nausicaä, were famed for their immaculate application of xenia, as the princess and her maids offered to bathe Odysseus and then led him to the palace to be fed and entertained. After sharing his story with the Phaeacians they agree to take Odysseus to his home land. In a new rule, he states that you should not beat your host in a competition because it would be rude and could damage the relationship.[7]
Because Odysseus was indirectly responsible for Poseidon's sinking one of their ships, the Phaeacians resolved to be less trusting of subsequent travelers. However, Polyphemus showed lack of xenia, despite Odysseus' reminders, and refused to honor the travelers' requests, instead eating some of Odysseus' men. The suitor Ctesippus mocks xenia by hurling a hoof, disguised as a "gift", at Odysseus. When he is speared by Philoetius, the cowherd claims this avenges his disrespect.
Book 1 has Telemachus show xenia to the disguised Athena. He welcomes her into his home and offers her food. He even moves her chair away from the suitors who are rude. Eumaeus the Swineherd shows xenia to the disguised Odysseus, claiming guests come under the protection of Zeus. When one of the suitors Ctesippus mocks the disguised Odysseus and hurls an ox's hoof at him as a "gift", mocking xenia, though Odysseus dodges this, Telemachus says if he had hit the guest, he would have run Ctesippus through with his spear.[8] The other suitors are worried, saying Ctesippus is "doomed" if the stranger is a disguised god. As well as this, whenever Homer describes the details of "xenia", he uses the same formula every time: for example, the maid pouring wine into the gold cups, etc.
An example of bad xenia occurs when Homer describes the suitors. They continue to eat Penelope and Telemachus out of house and home. They are rude to not only each other but to Telemachus and the guests, such as disguised Athena and Odysseus.
In the Odyssey, Calypso, a fair goddess, had wanted to keep Odysseus in her cavern as her husband, but he refused. Circe had also failed to keep Odysseus in her halls as her mate. Although both of these women had fine homes and fine things to offer him, their hospitality was too much for Odysseus. He instead left each with the goal of returning to Ithaca and reclaiming his family and his home. Sometimes Hospitality was unwanted[9] or was given unwillingly.
In the Argonautika[edit]
While the Argonautika takes place before the Iliad and the Odyssey, it was written by an Alexandrian librarian, Apollonius of Rhodes. Since the story takes place during Greek times, the theme of xenia is shown throughout the story. For example, in Book 2, the King of Bebrykians, Amykos, makes the Argonauts fight to be able to leave. Polydeukes volunteers himself to participate in the boxing match.[10] This is a clear violation of xenia, and the Argonauts become worried when they reach their next destination later on in Book 2, when the Argonauts are on an island after a storm caused by Zeus. The Argonauts call out, asking for the strangers to be kind to them and treat them fairly. They realize that Jason and the men on the island are related by Jason's father's side of the family.The men provide clothing, sacrifice with them, and share a meal before the Arrgonauts leave the island in the morning.[11]
Another example is when Jason talks about going to Aietes' palace. He says that they will receive a warm welcome and surely he will follow the rules of xenia.[12]
The final example of xenia in the Argonautika is the first time the Argonauts reach Aietes' palace. It is also the first time Medeia is depicted in love with Jason due to Eros. Aietes has a feast prepared, and the Argos are served after their meal Aietes begins to ask questions about the Argonauts purpose and voyage to his kingdom.[13]
Political alliances[edit]
Historian Gabriel Herman lays out the use of xenia in political alliances in the Near East.
Solemn pronouncements were often used to establish a ritualised personal relationship, such as when "Xerxes, having been offered lavish hospitality and most valuable gifts by Pythios the Lydian, declared "...in return for this I give you these privileges (gera): I make you my Xenos. ...the same set of words could be applied in non-face-to-face situations, when a ruler wished to contract an alliance through the intermediary of messengers."[14] Herman points out that this is correspondent to pacts made by African tribal societies studied by Harry Tegnaeus (in his 1952 ethno-sociological book Blood Brothers) where "the partners proclaim themselves in the course of the blood ceremony each other's 'brothers', 'foster-brothers', 'cousins'. The surviving treaties of 'fraternity' 'paternity' and 'love and friendship' between the petty rules of the ancient Near East in the second half of the second millennium B.C. incorporate what are probably written versions of such declarations."[14] (Herman also sees an echo of this in the medieval ceremony of homage, in the exchange between a would-be-vassal and the lord.)[14]
Herman goes on to point out "No less important an element in forging the alliance was the exchange of highly specialized category of gifts, designated in our sources as xénia (as distinct from xenía, the term of the relationship itself) or dora. It was as important to give such gifts as to receive, and refusal to reciprocate as tantamount to a declaration of hostility. Mutual acceptance of the gifts, on the other hand, was a clear mark of the beginning of friendship."[14] Herman points to the account of Odysseys giving Iphitos a sword and spear after having been given a formidable bow while saying they were "the first toke of loving guest-friendship".[14] Herman also shows that Herodotus holds "the conclusion of an alliance and the exchange of gifts appeared as two inseparable acts: Polykrates, having seized the government in Samos, "concluded a pact of xenia with Amasis king of Egypt, sending and receiving from him gifts (dora)".[14] Within the ritual it was important that the return gift be offered immediately after receiving a gift with each commensurate rather than attempting to surpass each other in value. The initial gifts in such an exchange would fall somewhere between being symbolic but useless, and of high use-value but without any special symbolic significance.[14] The initial gifts would serve as both object and symbol. Herman points out that these good were not viewed as trade or barter, "for the exchange was not an end in itself, but a means to another end." While trade ends with the exchange, the ritual exchange "was meant to symbolize the establishment of obligations which, ideally, would last for ever."[14]
See also[edit]
Hospitium
Xenos (Greek)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Bruce Louden, Homer's Odyssey and the Near East (Cambridge University Press, 2011), pp. 31–32; John B. Weaver, Plots of Epiphany: Prison-Escape in Acts of the Apostles (Walter de Gruyter, 2004), p. 34.
2.Jump up ^ "The Odyssey: Be our guest with Xenia - Classical Wisdom Weekly". Classical Wisdom Weekly. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
3.Jump up ^ Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1990. Book VI, Lines 137 - 282
4.Jump up ^ Lattimore, Richmond (2011). The Iliad of Homer. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press. pp. Book 7; lines 299–302. ISBN 9780226470498.
5.Jump up ^ Lattimore, Richmond (2011). The Iliad of Homer. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press. pp. Book 9; lines 197–265. ISBN 9780226470498.
6.Jump up ^ Lattimore, Richmond (2011). The Iliad of Homer. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press. pp. Book 18; lines 406–409. ISBN 9780226470498.
7.Jump up ^ Lattimore, Richmond (2011). The Iliad of Homer. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press. pp. Book 8 lines 204–211.
8.Jump up ^ Homer, Odyssey, 20.287-319
9.Jump up ^ "The Value of Hospitality". Union College. 2005. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
10.Jump up ^ Rhodios, Apollonios (2007). The Argonautika. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. Book 2; lines 55–98. ISBN 9780520253933.
11.Jump up ^ Rhodios, Apollonios (2007). The Argonautika. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. Book 2; lines 1122–1230. ISBN 9780520253933.
12.Jump up ^ Rhodios, Apollonios (2007). The Argonautika. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. Book 2; lines 1195–1200. ISBN 9780520253933.
13.Jump up ^ Rhodios, Apollonios (2007). The Argonautika. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. Book 3; lines 275–330. ISBN 9780520253933.
14.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Gabriel Herman (1987). Ritualised Friendship and the Greek City. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Some of this material comes from lectures by Dr. Elizabeth Vandiver, recorded and distributed by The Teaching Company.
Vandiver, Elizabeth, Ph.D. (Lecturer). (1999). The Iliad of Homer. [Audio CD]Vandiver, Elizabeth, Ph.D. (Lecturer). (1999). The Odyssey of Homer. [Audio CD]Vandiver, Elizabeth, Ph.D. (Lecturer). (2000). Greek Tragedy Part I. [Audio CD]
External links[edit]
Xenia A comic-strip explanation of the formula of Xenia or hospitality in Greek Epic by Greek Myth Comix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfeeUuYNGl0
Understanding the original laws of Hospitality and the Wrath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5_HxvDKEsM Let's market ugliness in the name of free money from Uncle Sam
Henry Ward
consultant@tourismeconomy.com www.mississippigulfcoastmap.com,
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