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Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition

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I had a connection with Christine Pohl and had been meaning to read her book, which she was working on when I knew her. Recently the book hit my radar screen and I leapt at the chance to finally tuck into it. And tuck into it I did: the book is a banquet when it comes to thinking about hospitality- any reader would feast well.

I have another reason for reading it: I have been rethinking Christian virtues and practises and have noticed a stunning intersection between my own life, the life of the Christian Community in which I live and the practise of hospitality.

Pohl's assertion is that the practise of Christian hospitality is more than just a gathering of like minded people for a nice meal and convivial conversation (p.3) but a lost Christian virtue that when truly practised is countercultural and re-formational. Tracing the Biblical mandate through the Christian Old and New Testaments in chapter 2, she examines hospitality as moral imperative and a necessity for survival in the desert culture of the Ancient Near East chapter 1. The Christian history of hospitality carries with it some of the moral imperative, but also a theological imperative, the Gospel is transmitted through the breaking of bread around a meal table and the example of caring for the oppressed. The Gospel is preserved when the persecuted are sheltered (the second half of chapter 2). Unifying the biblical story of hospitality is the repeated references of `entertaining angels unawares'. One can never be sure if one is entertaining an angel, a homeless or Christ- better be good to the stranger.

In the second section Making Room answers the question: `But what does hospitality do?' It recognizes, empowers and gives place to the homeless. It provides rest and home for the sojourner. Hospitality goes beyond the possibility that it may be Jesus sitting at your table. Practising hospitality recognizes that all humans are made in God's image, so to be good to the stranger is to be good humanity.

On the other hand the practise of hospitality is not without its pitfalls: Here Pohl has gleaned and gathered insights from various communities that have practised hospitality. Practising hospitality, being so much more than `a nice meal with nice friends' is a crucible in which faith is questioned and belief in God and humanity is challenged. There are, as it turns out, no easy answers, and no formulaic practises to be observed; like the Nike slogan of a few years ago: "Just do it". There is moral imperative attached.

I believe this is a thorough treatment of the virtue of hospitality. Christians of all flavours and strips would do well to read it, but especially those who exercise any role of leadership in Christian communities. And who knows? If the local church hospitality committee read it they may worry less about cutting the crusts off the sandwiches and more about serving chili at the local homeless shelter. And Pohl would agree, that would be a good thing.

I picked this book up because it was suggested "in addition" to another book on hospitality that I read recently and thought was life-changing. This book is very good, it includes interesting and thoughtful ideas and it is pretty well written. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading some academic paper prepared in graduate school. While I liked the book fine and it definitely worth reading, I think if fails to measure up to some other books on the market right now. I would certainly suggest it for anyone doing academic work, preparing for a class or inventing some church program.

I read this book in preparation to interviewing Dr. Pohl for a magazine. It's terrific -- a thoughtful examination of practices that used to be considered an essential component of the Christian faith but which have, over the years, been institutionalized and removed from our everyday lives. How do we recapture the Biblical imperative toward hospitality in the reality of a modern world? This book doesn't give pat answers, but it does give you a framework for asking the right questions, and some suggestions that might point you in the right direction.

In her book, Pohl makes an excellent case for the lost ministry of hospitality. She explores the tradition of welcoming stangers into our homes while discussing the ways in which Christians can offer practical hospitality to the poor, homeless, and refugees in our communities. I am impressed that Pohl is careful not to confuse the challenging ministry hospitality with entertaining.

Making Room is a narrative of the Christian story of hospitality, and is rich in historical and Biblical detail. Pohl convinces us that in recovering this lost Christian practice we will not only encounter the holiness and mystery of God, but entertain angels as well.

Making Room is a positive and a healing book. All is not right with Christendom, but throughout church history there have been a few persons who have recovered and continued the practice of entertaining strangers, and have promoted or formed redemptive welcoming communities. Making Room is thus a book that brings to life the holy underside of history. Included in the narrative are the stories of some contemporary communities of hospitality still functioning on the edges of church life today, bringing hospitality to workers, the condemned, the handicapped, or those seeking spiritual direction.

In spite of the persistent theme of encountering angels, however, Pohl does not gloss over the human toll involved in providing hospitality, and the enormous burden it often places on a few. She discusses openly the painful question of boundaries and limits in the practice of hospitality, and the need to maintain identity as well as openness to others.

Pohl's writing is remarkable in its ecumenical application. All traditions and communities are incorporated at some point in the history and in the contemporary application. This text will be invaluable for seminary students, pastors and priests, lay church groups, and anyone interested in social issues, spirituality or church history. Making Room will provide answers to those perplexed by the lack of depth in contemporary church life today, and those who are thinking through issues of boundaries and openness with regard to refugees and aliens in many contexts.

Few ideas would seem to be as obvious as the idea that churches need to be welcoming communities. This book does more than remind us of the obvious, it opens the whole idea of hospitality, its history, spirituality and practice to personal study and communal implementation. Pohl firmly grounds "Making Room" in Scripture and in the experience of various Christian communities. The depth of her scholarship and research will reward church ministers and those preparing for ministry. Her clear writing style makes her work accessible to any reader.

It is hard to know where to start. The book is elegantly written, it is full of interesting history of the early church. But more importantly, it speaks to a deadness in the church today. Often members of the church have learned to live distant from problems of their "neighbors" be they down the block or down the street in the challenged neighborhoods in our cities.

In the early church, members were the challenged people, they reached out to each other, but now much of the church is isolated and distant from the needy stranger. Read Luke 14 - decide if you have responded to principles in those scenarios described by Jesus. If you come up short, then this book will help with a compassionate analysis of our dilemma in reaching out to "the least of these."

In addition to setting the stage for individuals to learn to reach out to needy strangers, the book creates a context for the faith-based social service discussion. While members of congregations may not exhibit the skills of professional social workers, they have an important role to play in being present and responding to neigbors in their communities who need the touch of grace in their lives.

The book is a good read, but it requires more than one pass. If you invest in the book deeply, you will be called to action.