HOSPITALITY
“Quality of Life Series”
9/14/04
LEADER: Sandi and I would like to come to your house for dinner tonight and spend the night…and after breakfast spend some quality time with you playing games and talking, then after lunch, a nap before we head home. Any takers? Anybody feeling hospitable? Or do you think “Oh, No! You’ve got to be kidding...my house is a mess, there’s nothing prepared to eat, and as much as I’d like to spend some time with you, I don’t have time for this…what an imposition!”
As you may have guessed, our study today is on “hospitality”.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #1
“Unbidden guests are often welcomest when they are gone.”
William Shakespeare
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #2
“Fish and visitors smell in three days.”
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
LEADER: “Hospitality” By Tm Olson EXERPT http://www.sermoncentral.com/outsideURL.asp?OutsideURL=http://www.kbftokyo.org/sermons2/1999/serm99_711.htm
It may not even take 3 days! As someone else said:
Some people can stay longer in an hour than others can in a week.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Tact” from “Hospitality” By Tm Olson EXERPT CONT:
To entertain gracefully, you need to have tact.
Tact--The ability to make your guests feel at home when you wish they really were.
And this last one…take a positive view on hospitality:
Visits always give pleasure--if not the coming, then the going.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Either Way” - “Hospitality” By Tm Olson EXERPT CONT:
A wealthy woman was interviewing an applicant for a job on her household staff.
"Do you know how to serve company?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am, either way," replied the young girl.
"And what do you mean by `either way'."
"Why, so they will come back or so they won't."
LEADER: “Hospitality” By Tm Olson EXERPT CONT: http://www.sermoncentral.com/outsideURL.asp?OutsideURL=http://www.kbftokyo.org/sermons2/1999/serm99_711.htm
The Greek word for hospitality means "love to strangers." The word "strangers" doesn't necessarily mean that they are strange, it normally applied to travelers and aliens. You always take a risk, though, when you entertain people that you don't know very well.
LEADER: Is there a difference between hospitality and entertaining?
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Entertaining Angels” By Alan Perkins EXCERPT
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=59800&ContributorID=5916
It’s important not to confuse hospitality with entertaining. Entertaining is fine china, and cloth napkins, and a dessert that took three hours to prepare. Entertaining is having the carpet cleaned, and the lawn mowed, and the kids shuffled off to grandma’s house so they won’t spill anything on your guests. Hospitality, on the other hand, is inviting people into your life, just as you are. Hospitality is walking into the living room two steps ahead of your guests and kicking the toys behind the couch. Hospitality is sharing whatever you’re having, even if it’s just leftover meatloaf and microwave Tater-Tots. Hospitality is real life. And therefore, by necessity, hospitality is humble. Because if we open up our homes and our lives to people to minister to their needs, some of the messiness of our own lives is going to be exposed. And that’s OK. Hospitality has to come before pride. Not that there’s anything wrong with cleaning the house and putting a casserole in the oven, when you know that company is coming. That shows caring and respect also. But sometimes, you sense a need, or the opportunity for fellowship arises spontaneously, and you have to be prepared to invite folks over, regardless of what the house looks like. Because it’s not your house, or your furniture, or your culinary skills that people need most. It’s your friendship. Don’t let pride keep you from practicing hospitality.
LEADER: Hospitality may mean a simple gesture:
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Jesu Ist Mein Herr” by Dick Innes
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon1a/jesuist.htm
In the book, "Finding Hope Again," Roy Fairchild told how he had come to Vienna after a two-week illness in a small Austrian village. He had spent most of his money on medical costs and his last cent to take a train to Vienna to try and find his friends he had been traveling with.
As he was standing in one of the street car stations in the centre of the city, tired, hungry and discouraged a little old wrinkled lady, one of the ladies whose job was to sweep out the station, came to him and asked him if he were hungry.
Before he could answer she took her own lunch from a brown paper bag and offered him half of it. He said he was so moved by her action that he has never forgotten her face or her kindness and the sparkle in her eye.
They talked for more than an hour about her life. She was raised in the country on a farm knowing only hard work. Since then she had lost her husband and two sons in the Resistance. Only her daughter had survived but she said that she was very thankful for many things.
When asking her why she offered him half her lunch the lady simply said, "Jesu ist mein Herr. Gott ist gut (Jesus is my Lord. God is good)".
This story reminds me of one of my favorite hymns written by Kate B. Wilkinson:
May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, Live in me from day to day,
By his love and pow'r controlling All I do and say.
May his beauty rest upon me As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel, Seeing only him.
LEADER: Hospitality could mean giving a moment of your time:
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Entertaining an Angel” By Brian G. Jett CONT:
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2/entertaining_an_angel.htm
It was just another ordinary day as she performed her tasks at a large university as an administrator working with Hall Monitors and residents. It wasn't uncommon for students to pop in to say a welcomed "Hello" or the like.
This particular day would bring something entirely new her way. As the workday neared its end, she sat at her desk as she completed some paper work. She heard a sheepish giggle and looked up startled by what she saw. This was not one of the many students that would drop in routinely to ask her a question about dorm life or complain about a given Hall Monitor. Standing there at the door of her office was a very short black man who, by most standards, would be considered unseemly to look at as he clearly had been born with birth defects.
He was unusually small and his face was deformed as he stood holding a cane. Obviously his eyesight was impaired as well. Trying to keep her composure she asked, "Hello, can I help you with something?"
He smiled and replied, "No Ma'am, I just like to come to campus to make friends but most people won't talk to me because I think they are scared of me by the way I look."
Trying to be tactful, she replied, "Not at all! I am not scared of you. You look just fine to me." He giggled again as he placed his backpack on the floor. "Are you having a problem or is there something going on at your dorm that I can help you with?," she asked.
"No Ma'am. You see, I am not a student. I carry this backpack around with me so that the other students will talk with me and be my friend but I don't think it's working very well because no one wants to talk with me very long. I come to campus because there are a lot of people here and I want to make friends."
As she looked at him, her eyes began to tear up but she desperately tried to hold her emotions back for fear that he would think she felt sorry for him. The conversation went on as he told her about himself and she told him more about her life and the things that had occurred while dealing with students. His laugh was infectious and his childlike innocence was so delightful.
Before she knew it, she realized that she no longer saw him in the same light as she first did. "Well, I think I've wasted enough of your time so I better leave. You have better things to do than talk with me."
As he reached down to the floor to pick up his backpack, she began to tear up again but this time the tears came not from her feeling sorry for him, but from the respect she had for his being so incredibly brave. Holding back the tears she stated, "You are one of the most kind and beautiful individuals that I've ever met. Promise me that you will come back and visit again as I enjoy talking with you. Do you promise?," she asked.
He smiled and callously looked down for a moment. "Yes, I promise I will but I have a hard time climbing the stairs. Can I ask you a question Ma'am?" She stood up, as she wanted to shake his hand before he left and replied, "Of course you can. What do you want to know?"
He stood very still as his eyes turned her direction. "Did you really mean what you just said about me?," he asked. Without hesitation she quickly replied, "I've never said anything more true in all my life and I mean that!" He positioned his cane and began to walk out of the door but suddenly stopped and looked her way again.
"I can't see you very good, but for the first time in my life, I believe someone. Thanks for talking to me and being my friend. I'll be back, I believe in someone now!" As he walked slowly out of her office he giggled, smiled, and uttered very softly....."I believe."
LEADER: Hospitality could mean sacrificial giving:
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2b/norma.htm
Since 1995, I have spent several months a year in southern Mexico teaching or so I thought. Now, as I think about it, I was doing more learning than teaching. The people of Oaxaca (pronounced WA-HA-CA) were in general less well educated than I am. They are poorer and certainly less traveled. However, they were able to teach me a great deal about the important things in life, things like self-respect, honesty, industry, generosity ? the list goes on. Let me give you an example.
Norma is a poor woman from a mountain village and had come with her young daughter to the city in the hopes of making a better life. Unlike many others, she was lucky enough to have a skill. She was a weaver, highly skilled with the traditional back-strap loom, and yet with the fierce competition from other weavers, she was barely making it. She supplemented the income from the sale of her weavings by teaching classes to foreign tourists who spent more money on beer in a single evening than she made in a whole week of teaching them how to weave.
Norma knew that we foreigners were rich compared to herself and most other Mexicans but that did not affect her generosity. On the Day of the Dead (the biggest celebration in the Oaxacan year), she invited my wife and I to her house. She, her daughter, her mother, her brother and his family (wife and two children) lived in a single-roomed shack of cement blocks with a tin roof. The floor was dirt. There was no electricity and the water they used came from a tap in the yard that was shared by three or four other families.
We arrived and were immediately welcomed by Norma and her family. We were given the only chairs they had to sit on. They insisted. We had just sat down and Norma's sister-in-law handed us each a bowl of stew and a spoon. They ate plain tortillas while we ate the family's entire ration of meat for the week. Ellie and I were embarrassed by this but Norma and her family were not. They were clearly pleased at being able to entertain their "important" guests in proper style. The sacrifice they made was, for them, an honor rather than a burden. I wonder how many of us gringos would see it that way.
The generosity of the Oaxacan people is, I think, legendary. Even though by our standards they have nothing, they will give you everything. In the village of Ejutla, just south of the city of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, one of my assistants was admiring a cross on the wall of a friend's house. In fact, it was the only decoration on any wall but as soon as my assistant said that she liked the cross, my friend's wife snatched it off the wall and presented it to my assistant as a gift.
Neither she nor I knew what to say other than "thank you" which, of course, is the only correct response in a situation like that.
LEADER: You never know what friendships may evolve. When we
were on the Great Race, host families would buy one of the teams for the duration of their stay in their city. They accommodated their every need…car repair, meals, laundry, gift basket…and often life long friendships. Sometimes, when extending hospitality, we receive more blessings than we could have imagined.
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon1a/luther,.htm
"The great thing in life is not so much what we are doing at the moment as the
direction in which we are headed."
This was certainly true for a couple in Germany who, many years ago, were
preparing their evening meal when they heard a knock at their door. Upon
answering the door, standing there, in the deep winter cold, was an ill-clad
youth asking for food. The couple took him in to give him food and shelter for
the night.
Being Christians, they prayed for this rather destitute young man. Somehow they
both felt that they should take him into their home and adopt him as their own
son. This they did. Little did they know who this stranger was and what he would
accomplish with his life. His name? Martin Luther.
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon3a/i_have_seen_an_angel.htm
It was fifty years ago, on a hot summer day, in the deep south. We lived on a
dirt road, on a sand lot. We were, what was known as "dirt poor". I had been
playing outside all morning in the sand. Suddenly, I heard a sharp clanking
sound behind me and looking over my shoulder, my eyes were drawn to a strange
sight!
Across the dirt road were two rows of men, dressed in black and white, striped,
baggy uniforms. Their faces were covered with dust and sweat. They looked so
weary, and they were chained together with huge, black, iron chains. Hanging
from the end of each chained row was a big, black, iron ball. They were, as
polite people said in those days, a "Chain Gang," guarded by two, heavily armed,
white guards.
I stared at the prisoners as they settled uncomfortably down in the dirt, under
the shade of some straggly trees. One of the guards walked towards me. Nodding
as he passed, he went up to our front door and knocked. My mother appeared at
the door, and I heard the guard ask if he could have permission to get water
from the pump, in the backyard, so that "his men" could "have a drink". My
mother agreed, but I saw a look of concern on her face, as she called me inside.
I stared through the window as each prisoner was unchained from the line, to
hobble over to the pump and drink his fill from a small tin cup, while a guard
watched vigilantly. It wasn't long before they were all chained back up again,
with prisoners and guards retreating into the shade, away from an unrelenting
sun.
I heard my mother call me into the kitchen, and I entered, to see her bustling
around with tins of tuna fish, mayonnaise, our last loaf of bread, and two, big,
pitchers of lemonade. In what seemed "a blink of an eye", she had made a tray of
sandwiches using all the tuna we were to have had for that night's supper.
My mother was smiling as she handed me one of the pitchers of lemonade,
cautioning me to carry it "carefully" and to "not spill a drop." Then, lifting
the tray in one hand and holding a pitcher in her other hand, she marched me to
the door, deftly opening it with her foot, and trotted me across the street.
She approached the guards, flashing them with a brilliant smile. "We had some
leftovers from lunch," she said, "and I was wondering if we could share with you
and your men." She smiled at each of the men, searching their dark eyes with her
own eyes of "robin's egg blue."
Everyone started to their feet. "Oh no!" she said. "Stay where you are! I'll
just serve you!"
Calling me to her side, she went from guard to guard, then from prisoner to
prisoner -- filling each tin cup with lemonade, and giving each man a sandwich.
It was very quiet, except for a "thank you, ma'am," and the clanking of the
chains. Very soon we were at the end of the line, my mother's eyes softly
scanning each face.
The last prisoner was a big man, his dark skin pouring with sweat, and streaked
with dust. Suddenly, his face broke into a wonderful smile, as he looked up into
my mother's eyes, and he said, "Ma'am, I've wondered all my life if I'd ever see
an angel, and now I have! Thank you!"
Again, my mother's smile took in the whole group. "You're all welcome!" she
said. "God bless you." Then we walked across to the house, with empty tray and
pitchers, and back inside. Soon, the men moved on, and I never saw them again.
The only explanation my mother ever gave me, for that strange and wonderful day,
was that I "remember, always, to entertain strangers, for by doing so, you may
entertain angels, without knowing." Then, with a mysterious smile, she went
about the rest of the day.
I don't remember what we ate for supper, that night. I just know it was served
by an angel.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Hebrews 13: 2
2 Do
not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained
angels without knowing it.
LEADER: “Hospitality” By Tm Olson EXERPT CONT: http://www.sermoncentral.com/outsideURL.asp?OutsideURL=http://www.kbftokyo.org/sermons2/1999/serm99_711.htm
In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote, "Do not waste your time bothering whether you love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him."
I think it's also true that if you practice gracious hospitality you will probably become a gracious and hospitable person.
LEADER: This next story is long, but as we have just observed the anniversary of the September 11th attack on our nation, it deserves to be told:
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Diverted Flight to Canada” #1
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon3/diverted_flight_to_canada.htm
If you wondered about all those flights that were in the middle of the great
blue Atlantic Ocean on the morning of September 11th, here is an
up-close-and-personal story written by a Delta Airlines flight attendant en
route from Frankfurt to Atlanta. This was the first accounting that I had read
of one of the diverted flights to Canada. I found it both compelling and
inspiring. And the question the writer poses at the end is a good one:
"Why not?"
We were about 5 hours out of Frankfurt flying over the North Atlantic and I was
in my crew rest seat taking my scheduled rest break. All of a sudden the
curtains parted violently and I was told to go to the cockpit, right now, to see
the captain. As soon as I got there I noticed that the crew had one of those
"All Business" looks on their faces. The captain handed me a printed message. I
quickly read the message and realized the importance of it. The message was from
Atlanta, addressed to our flight, and simply said, "All airways over the
Continental US are closed. Land ASAP at the nearest airport, advise your
destination."
Now, when a dispatcher tells you to land immediately without suggesting which
airport, one can assume that the dispatcher has reluctantly given up control of
the flight to the captain. We knew it was a serious situation and we needed to
find terra firma quickly. It was quickly decided that the nearest airport was
400 miles away, behind our right shoulder, in Gander, on the island of New
Foundland. A quick request was made to the Canadian traffic controller and a
right turn, directly to Gander, was approved immediately. We found out later why
there was no hesitation by the Canadian controller approving our request. We,
the in-flight crew, were told to get the airplane ready for an immediate
landing. While this was going on another message arrived from Atlanta telling us
about some terrorist activity in the New York area.
We briefed the in-flight crew about going to Gander and we went about our
business 'closing down' the airplane for a landing. A few minutes later I went
back to the cockpit to find out that some airplanes had been hijacked and were
being flown into buildings all over the US. We decided to make an announcement
and LIE to the passengers for the time being. We told them that an instrument
problem had arisen on the airplane and that we needed to land at Gander to have
it checked. We promised to give more information after landing in Gander. There
were many unhappy passengers but that is par for the course.
We landed in Gander about 40 minutes after the start of this episode.
There were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from all over the
world.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Diverted Flight to Canada” #2
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon3/diverted_flight_to_canada.htm
After we parked on the ramp the captain made the following announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if all these airplanes around us
have the same instrument problem as we have. But the reality is that we are here
for a good reason." Then he went on to explain the little bit we knew about the
situation in the US. There were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. Local time
at Gander was 12:30 p.m. (11:00 a.m. EST) Gander control told us to stay put. No
one was allowed to get off the aircraft.
No one on the ground was allowed to come near the aircrafts. Only a car from the
airport police would come around once in a while, look us over and go on to the
next airplane. In the next hour or so all the airways over the North Atlantic
were vacated and Gander alone ended up with 53 airplanes from all over the
world, out of which 27 were flying US flags. We were told that each and every
plane was to be off loaded, one at a time, with the foreign carriers given the
priority. We were No.14 in the US category. We were further told that we would
be given a tentative time to deplane at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile bits of news started to come in over the aircraft radio and for the
first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in
New York and into the Pentagon in DC. People were trying to use their cell
phones but were unable to connect due to a different cell system in Canada. Some
did get through but were only able to get to the Canadian operator who would
tell them that the lines to the US were either blocked or jammed and to try
again. Some time late in the evening the news filtered to us that the World
Trade Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking had resulted in
a crash. Now the passengers were totally bewildered and emotionally exhausted
but stayed calm as we kept reminding them to look around to see that we were not
the only ones in this predicament.
There were 52 other planes with people on them in the same situation. We also
told them that the Canadian Government was in charge and we were at their mercy.
True to their word, at 6 p.m., Gander airport told us that our turn to deplane
would come at 11 a.m., the next morning. That took the last wind out of the
passengers and they simply resigned and accepted this news without much noise
and really started to get into a mode of spending the night on the airplane.
Gander had promised us any and all medical attention if needed; medicine, water,
and lavatory servicing. And they were true to their word.
Fortunately we had no medical situation during the night. We did have a young
lady who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took REALLY good care of her. The
night passed without any further complications on our airplane despite the
uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. About 10:30 on the morning of the
12th we were told to get ready to leave the aircraft.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Diverted Flight to Canada” #3
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon3/diverted_flight_to_canada.htm
A convoy of school buses showed up at the side of the airplane, the stairway was
hooked up and the passengers were taken to the terminal for "processing". We,
the crew, were taken to the same terminal but were told to go to a different
section, where we were processed through Immigration and customs and then had to
register with the Red Cross. After that we were isolated from our passengers and
were taken in a caravan of vans to a very small hotel in the town of Gander. We
had no idea where our passengers were going.
The town of Gander has a population of 10,400 people. Red Cross told us that
they were going to process about 10,500 passengers from all the airplanes that
were forced into Gander. We were told to just relax at the hotel and wait for a
call to go back to the airport, but not to expect that call for a while. We
found out the total scope of the terror back home only after getting to our
hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all started.
Meanwhile we enjoyed ourselves going around town discovering things and enjoying
the hospitality. The people were so friendly and they just knew that we were the
"Plane People". We all had a great time until we got that call, 2 days later, on
the 14th at 7 a.m. We made it to the airport by
8:30 a.m. and left for Atlanta at 12:30 p.m. arriving in Atlanta at about
4:30 p.m.. (Gander is 1 hour and 30 minutes ahead of EST, yes!, 1 hour and 30
minutes.)
But that's not what I wanted to tell you. What passengers told us was so
uplifting and incredible and the timing couldn't have been better. We found out
that Gander and the surrounding small communities, within a 75 Kilometer radius,
had closed all the high schools, meeting halls, lodges, and any other large
gathering places. They converted all these facilities to a mass lodging area.
Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up. ALL
the high school students HAD to volunteer taking care of the "GUESTS".
Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called Lewisporte, about 45 Kilometers
from Gander. There they were put in a high school. If any women wanted to be in
a women-only facility, that was arranged. Families were kept together.
All the elderly passengers were given no choice and were taken to private homes.
Remember that young pregnant lady, she was put up in a private home right across
the street from a 24 hour Urgent Care type facility. There were DDS on call and
they had both male and female nurses available and stayed with the crowd for the
duration. Phone calls and emails to US and Europe were available for everyone
once a day.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Diverted Flight to Canada” #4
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon3/diverted_flight_to_canada.htm
During the days the passengers were given a choice of "Excursion" trips. Some
people went on boat cruises of the lakes and harbors. Some went to see the local
forests. Local bakeries stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests. Food was
prepared by all the residents and brought to the school for those who elected to
stay put.
Others were driven to the eatery of their choice and fed. They were given tokens
to go to the local Laundromat to wash their clothes, since their luggage was
still on the aircraft. In other words every single need was met for those
unfortunate travelers. Passengers were crying while telling us these stories.
After all that, they were delivered to the airport right on time and without a
single one missing or late. All because the local Red Cross had all the
information about the goings on back at Gander and knew which group needed to
leave for the airport at what time. Absolutely incredible.
When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise.
Everybody knew everybody else by their name. They were swapping stories of their
stay, impressing each other with who had the better time. It was mind-
boggling. Our flight back to Atlanta looked like a party flight. We simply
stayed out of their way. The passengers had totally bonded and they were calling
each other by their first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses, and email
addresses.
And then a strange thing happened. One of our business class passengers
approached me and asked if he could speak over the PA to his fellow passengers.
We never, never, allow that. But something told me to get out of his way. I said
"of course". The gentleman picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what
they had just gone through in the last few days. He reminded them of the
hospitality they had received at the hands of total strangers. He further stated
that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of the town of
Lewisporte. He said he was going to set up a Trust Fund under the name of DELTA
15 (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide a
scholarship for high school student(s) of Lewisporte to help them go to college.
He asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travelers.
When the paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone
numbers and addresses, it totaled to $14.5K or about $20K Canadian. The
gentleman who started all this turned out to be an MD from Virginia. He promised
to match the donations and to start the administrative work on the scholarship.
He also said that he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them
to donate as well.
Why, all of this? Just because some people in far away places were kind to some
strangers, who happened to literally drop in among them? WHY NOT?
LEADER: Think about the difference this made in the lives of these passengers…think of the endless thoughtful acts of kindness, generosity, hospitality and selfless acts of bravery extended to strangers and loved ones effected by 9/11.
LEADER: Have you ever thought about the hospitality God extends to us?
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Deuteronomy 10:17-19
17 "For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. 18 "He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. 19 "So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
LEADER: “Entertaining Angels” By Alan Perkins EXCERPT CONT:
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=59800&ContributorID=5916
In order to grasp the importance of hospitality in Biblical times, we have to realize how different life was in the ancient world. No one back then would have called themselves a "citizen" of Ohio, or a "citizen" of the United States, because the idea of citizenship, the idea of belonging to an abstract political entity like a nation or a state, just didn’t exist. Instead, your place in a society was based on kinship; by a whole web of blood ties and marriage relationships. Back then, you would identify yourself, not by your country, but by your family, and your clan, and your tribe. So whenever you traveled away from your homeland you were in a very uncertain position. You couldn’t necessarily expect that the laws of some other place would protect you. Why should they? Their laws are for their people. You’re a stranger. What right do you have to demand anything from them? And so foreigners and aliens were often mistreated, with little or no legal recourse. But in Israel, strangers and aliens were a protected class. God specifically instructed his people not to oppress them, not to exploit the foreigners in their midst. Scattered throughout the Old Testament, we find other passages that relate to hospitality to strangers:
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Leviticus 19:33-34
"When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Leviticus 23:22
"When you reap the harvest of your
land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of
your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God."
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Deuteronomy 24:17-18
"Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this."
LEADER: “Entertaining Angels” By Alan Perkins EXCERPT CONT:
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=59800&ContributorID=5916
God is one who reaches out to the alien and the stranger; who invites the one
who doesn’t belong into his own family. We serve a God who not only tolerates
the stranger, but who loves him, and welcomes him, and accepts him as one of his
own children. As followers of Christ, we are to reach out, and show hospitality
to those who aren’t a part of our group.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 2:13 and 19
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household,
LEADER: “Entertaining Angels” By Alan Perkins EXCERPT CONT:
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=59800&ContributorID=5916
God came to us. He drew us in. He didn’t wait for us to seek him out. He didn’t
expect us to make the first move. And it’s a good thing he didn’t, because if he
had, none of us would have ever been saved. But instead, he sought us out. He
called us. He made provision for us. And if we are his children, then we will do
the same thing. Which means that the burden of making sure outsiders and
newcomers are welcomed into our fellowship is on us, and not on them. It’s not
their job to somehow muscle their way in. It’s our job to open the door and
invite them in.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 5:1-2
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
LEADER: “Entertaining Angels” By Alan Perkins EXCERPT CONT:
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=59800&ContributorID=5916
I don’t mean to imply that the only people we should show hospitality to are newcomers.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: 1 Peter 4:9
Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Romans 12:13
contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: John 13:17
If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
LEADER: “The Heart of Giving” Our Daily Bread 12/17/99 EXCERPT
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-12-17-99.shtml
A heart that has been given to God will overflow with selfless goodness to others. Just as Jesus gave Himself for us–becoming poor that we might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9)–so His disciples are to follow His example and freely give of themselves to serve others.
Let's commit ourselves to being as generous with our time and resources as the Lord has been with us. –DCE
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love. –Havergal
The highest kind of giving comes from the depths of the heart.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Matthew 25:31-40
31 "But
when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He
will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "All the nations will be
gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on
His right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to
those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 'For I was
hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me
something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was
in prison, and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer
Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You
something to drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and
invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You
sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 " The King will answer and
say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these
brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
LEADER: And when we see our Lord, what would we have Him say? ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' Matthew 25:21
LEADER: So…Sandi and I would like to come over tonight and spend a coupla days with you…whatayathink?
COMMENTS IF TIME:
STOP AT 10 TILL FOR
PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISES:
CUT AND DISTRIBUTE FOR READING:
QUOTE #1
“Unbidden guests are often welcomest when they are gone.”
William Shakespeare
QUOTE #2
“Fish and visitors smell in three days.”
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
“Tact”
To entertain gracefully, you need to have tact.
Tact--The ability to make your guests feel at home when you wish they really were.
And this last one, take a positive view on hospitality:
Visits always give pleasure--if not the coming, then the going.
“Either Way”
A wealthy woman was interviewing an applicant for a job on her household staff.
"Do you know how to serve company?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am, either way," replied the young girl.
"And what do you mean by `either way'."
"Why, so they will come back or so they won't."
“Entertaining Angels”
It’s important not to confuse hospitality with entertaining. Entertaining is fine china, and cloth napkins, and a dessert that took three hours to prepare. Entertaining is having the carpet cleaned, and the lawn mowed, and the kids shuffled off to grandma’s house so they won’t spill anything on your guests. Hospitality, on the other hand, is inviting people into your life, just as you are. Hospitality is walking into the living room two steps ahead of your guests and kicking the toys behind the couch. Hospitality is sharing whatever you’re having, even if it’s just leftover meatloaf and microwave Tater-Tots. Hospitality is real life. And therefore, by necessity, hospitality is humble. Because if we open up our homes and our lives to people to minister to their needs, some of the messiness of our own lives is going to be exposed. And that’s OK. Hospitality has to come before pride. Not that there’s anything wrong with cleaning the house and putting a casserole in the oven, when you know that company is coming. That shows caring and respect also. But sometimes, you sense a need, or the opportunity for fellowship arises spontaneously, and you have to be prepared to invite folks over, regardless of what the house looks like. Because it’s not your house, or your furniture, or your culinary skills that people need most. It’s your friendship. Don’t let pride keep you from practicing hospitality.
“Jesu Ist Mein Herr”
In the book, "Finding Hope Again," Roy Fairchild told how he had come to Vienna after a two-week illness in a small Austrian village. He had spent most of his money on medical costs and his last cent to take a train to Vienna to try and find his friends he had been traveling with.
As he was standing in one of the street car stations in the centre of the city, tired, hungry and discouraged a little old wrinkled lady, one of the ladies whose job was to sweep out the station, came to him and asked him if he were hungry.
Before he could answer she took her own lunch from a brown paper bag and offered him half of it. He said he was so moved by her action that he has never forgotten her face or her kindness and the sparkle in her eye.
They talked for more than an hour about her life. She was raised in the country on a farm knowing only hard work. Since then she had lost her husband and two sons in the Resistance. Only her daughter had survived but she said that she was very thankful for many things.
When asking her why she offered him half her lunch the lady simply said, "Jesu ist mein Herr. Gott ist gut (Jesus is my Lord. God is good)".
This story reminds me of one of my favorite hymns written by Kate B. Wilkinson:
May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, Live in me from day to day,
By his love and pow'r controlling All I do and say.
May his beauty rest upon me As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel, Seeing only him.
"The great thing in life is not so much what we are doing at the moment as the
direction in which we are headed."
This was certainly true for a couple in Germany who, many years ago, were
preparing their evening meal when they heard a knock at their door. Upon
answering the door, standing there, in the deep winter cold, was an ill-clad
youth asking for food. The couple took him in to give him food and shelter for
the night.
Being Christians, they prayed for this rather destitute young man. Somehow they
both felt that they should take him into their home and adopt him as their own
son. This they did. Little did they know who this stranger was and what he would
accomplish with his life. His name? Martin Luther.
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
Leviticus 19:33-34
Leviticus 23:22
Deuteronomy 24:17-18
“Entertaining an Angel”
It was just another ordinary day as she performed her tasks at a large university as an administrator working with Hall Monitors and residents. It wasn't uncommon for students to pop in to say a welcomed "Hello" or the like.
This particular day would bring something entirely new her way. As the workday neared its end, she sat at her desk as she completed some paper work. She heard a sheepish giggle and looked up startled by what she saw. This was not one of the many students that would drop in routinely to ask her a question about dorm life or complain about a given Hall Monitor. Standing there at the door of her office was a very short black man who, by most standards, would be considered unseemly to look at as he clearly had been born with birth defects. He was unusually small and his face was deformed as he stood holding a cane. Obviously his eyesight was impaired as well. Trying to keep her composure she asked, "Hello, can I help you with something?"
He smiled and replied, "No Ma'am, I just like to come to campus to make friends but most people won't talk to me because I think they are scared of me by the way I look."
Trying to be tactful, she replied, "Not at all! I am not scared of you. You look just fine to me." He giggled again as he placed his backpack on the floor. "Are you having a problem or is there something going on at your dorm that I can help you with?," she asked.
"No Ma'am. You see, I am not a student. I carry this backpack around with me so that the other students will talk with me and be my friend but I don't think it's working very well because no one wants to talk with me very long. I come to campus because there are a lot of people here and I want to make friends."
As she looked at him, her eyes began to tear up but she desperately tried to hold her emotions back for fear that he would think she felt sorry for him. The conversation went on as he told her about himself and she told him more about her life and the things that had occurred while dealing with students. His laugh was infectious and his childlike innocence was so delightful.
Before she knew it, she realized that she no longer saw him in the same light as she first did. "Well, I think I've wasted enough of your time so I better leave. You have better things to do than talk with me."
As he reached down to the floor to pick up his backpack, she began to tear up again but this time the tears came not from her feeling sorry for him, but from the respect she had for his being so incredibly brave. Holding back the tears she stated, "You are one of the most kind and beautiful individuals that I've ever met. Promise me that you will come back and visit again as I enjoy talking with you. Do you promise?," she asked.
He smiled and callously looked down for a moment. "Yes, I promise I will but I have a hard time climbing the stairs. Can I ask you a question Ma'am?" She stood up, as she wanted to shake his hand before he left and replied, "Of course you can. What do you want to know?"
He stood very still as his eyes turned her direction. "Did you really mean what you just said about me?," he asked. Without hesitation she quickly replied, "I've never said anything more true in all my life and I mean that!" He positioned his cane and began to walk out of the door but suddenly stopped and looked her way again.
"I can't see you very good, but for the first time in my life, I believe someone. Thanks for talking to me and being my friend. I'll be back, I believe in someone now!" As he walked slowly out of her office he giggled, smiled, and uttered very softly....."I believe."
Since 1995, I have spent several months a year in southern Mexico teaching or so I thought. Now, as I think about it, I was doing more learning than teaching. The people of Oaxaca (pronounced WA-HA-CA) were in general less well educated than I am. They are poorer and certainly less traveled. However, they were able to teach me a great deal about the important things in life, things like self-respect, honesty, industry, generosity ? the list goes on. Let me give you an example.
Norma is a poor woman from a mountain village and had come with her young daughter to the city in the hopes of making a better life. Unlike many others, she was lucky enough to have a skill. She was a weaver, highly skilled with the traditional back-strap loom, and yet with the fierce competition from other weavers, she was barely making it. She supplemented the income from the sale of her weavings by teaching classes to foreign tourists who spent more money on beer in a single evening than she made in a whole week of teaching them how to weave.
Norma knew that we foreigners were rich compared to herself and most other Mexicans but that did not affect her generosity. On the Day of the Dead (the biggest celebration in the Oaxacan year), she invited my wife and I to her house. She, her daughter, her mother, her brother and his family (wife and two children) lived in a single-roomed shack of cement blocks with a tin roof. The floor was dirt. There was no electricity and the water they used came from a tap in the yard that was shared by three or four other families.
We arrived and were immediately welcomed by Norma and her family. We were given the only chairs they had to sit on. They insisted. We had just sat down and Norma's sister-in-law handed us each a bowl of stew and a spoon. They ate plain tortillas while we ate the family's entire ration of meat for the week. Ellie and I were embarrassed by this but Norma and her family were not. They were clearly pleased at being able to entertain their "important" guests in proper style. The sacrifice they made was, for them, an honor rather than a burden. I wonder how many of us gringos would see it that way.
The generosity of the Oaxacan people is, I think, legendary. Even though by our standards they have nothing, they will give you everything. In the village of Ejutla, just south of the city of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, one of my assistants was admiring a cross on the wall of a friend's house. In fact, it was the only decoration on any wall but as soon as my assistant said that she liked the cross, my friend's wife snatched it off the wall and presented it to my assistant as a gift.
Neither she nor I knew what to say other than "thank you" which, of course, is the only correct response in a situation like that.
Hebrews 13: 2
Ephesians 2:13 and 19
Ephesians 5:1-2
1 Peter 4:9
It was fifty years ago, on a hot summer day, in the deep south. We lived on a
dirt road, on a sand lot. We were, what was known as "dirt poor". I had been
playing outside all morning in the sand. Suddenly, I heard a sharp clanking
sound behind me and looking over my shoulder, my eyes were drawn to a strange
sight! Across the dirt road were two rows of men, dressed in black and white,
striped, baggy uniforms. Their faces were covered with dust and sweat. They
looked so weary, and they were chained together with huge, black, iron chains.
Hanging from the end of each chained row was a big, black, iron ball. They were,
as polite people said in those days, a "Chain Gang," guarded by two, heavily
armed, white guards.
I stared at the prisoners as they settled uncomfortably down in the dirt, under
the shade of some straggly trees. One of the guards walked towards me. Nodding
as he passed, he went up to our front door and knocked. My mother appeared at
the door, and I heard the guard ask if he could have permission to get water
from the pump, in the backyard, so that "his men" could "have a drink". My
mother agreed, but I saw a look of concern on her face, as she called me inside.
I stared through the window as each prisoner was unchained from the line, to
hobble over to the pump and drink his fill from a small tin cup, while a guard
watched vigilantly. It wasn't long before they were all chained back up again,
with prisoners and guards retreating into the shade, away from an unrelenting
sun.
I heard my mother call me into the kitchen, and I entered, to see her bustling
around with tins of tuna fish, mayonnaise, our last loaf of bread, and two, big,
pitchers of lemonade. In what seemed "a blink of an eye", she had made a tray of
sandwiches using all the tuna we were to have had for that night's supper.
My mother was smiling as she handed me one of the pitchers of lemonade,
cautioning me to carry it "carefully" and to "not spill a drop." Then, lifting
the tray in one hand and holding a pitcher in her other hand, she marched me to
the door, deftly opening it with her foot, and trotted me across the street.
She approached the guards, flashing them with a brilliant smile. "We had some
leftovers from lunch," she said, "and I was wondering if we could share with you
and your men." She smiled at each of the men, searching their dark eyes with her
own eyes of "robin's egg blue." Everyone started to their feet. "Oh no!" she
said. "Stay where you are! I'll just serve you!" Calling me to her side, she
went from guard to guard, then from prisoner to prisoner -- filling each tin cup
with lemonade, and giving each man a sandwich. It was very quiet, except for a
"thank you, ma'am," and the clanking of the chains. Very soon we were at the end
of the line, my mother's eyes softly scanning each face. The last prisoner was a
big man, his dark skin pouring with sweat, and streaked with dust. Suddenly, his
face broke into a wonderful smile, as he looked up into my mother's eyes, and he
said, "Ma'am, I've wondered all my life if I'd ever see an angel, and now I
have! Thank you!" Again, my mother's smile took in the whole group. "You're all
welcome!" she said. "God bless you." Then we walked across to the house, with
empty tray and pitchers, and back inside. Soon, the men moved on, and I never
saw them again.
The only explanation my mother ever gave me, for that strange and wonderful day,
was that I "remember, always, to entertain strangers, for by doing so, you may
entertain angels, without knowing." Then, with a mysterious smile, she went
about the rest of the day. I don't remember what we ate for supper, that night.
I just know it was served by an angel.
“Diverted Flight to Canada” #1
If you wondered about all
those flights that were in the middle of the great blue Atlantic Ocean on the
morning of September 11th, here is an up-close-and-personal story written by a
Delta Airlines flight attendant en route from Frankfurt to Atlanta. This was the
first accounting that I had read of one of the diverted flights to Canada. I
found it both compelling and inspiring. And the question the writer poses at the
end is a good one:
"Why not?"
We were about 5 hours out of Frankfurt flying over the North Atlantic and I was
in my crew rest seat taking my scheduled rest break. All of a sudden the
curtains parted violently and I was told to go to the cockpit, right now, to see
the captain. As soon as I got there I noticed that the crew had one of those
"All Business" looks on their faces. The captain handed me a printed message. I
quickly read the message and realized the importance of it. The message was from
Atlanta, addressed to our flight, and simply said, "All airways over the
Continental US are closed. Land ASAP at the nearest airport, advise your
destination."
Now, when a dispatcher tells you to land immediately without suggesting which
airport, one can assume that the dispatcher has reluctantly given up control of
the flight to the captain. We knew it was a serious situation and we needed to
find terra firma quickly. It was quickly decided that the nearest airport was
400 miles away, behind our right shoulder, in Gander, on the island of New
Foundland. A quick request was made to the Canadian traffic controller and a
right turn, directly to Gander, was approved immediately. We found out later why
there was no hesitation by the Canadian controller approving our request. We,
the in-flight crew, were told to get the airplane ready for an immediate
landing. While this was going on another message arrived from Atlanta telling us
about some terrorist activity in the New York area.
We briefed the in-flight crew about going to Gander and we went about our
business 'closing down' the airplane for a landing. A few minutes later I went
back to the cockpit to find out that some airplanes had been hijacked and were
being flown into buildings all over the US. We decided to make an announcement
and LIE to the passengers for the time being. We told them that an instrument
problem had arisen on the airplane and that we needed to land at Gander to have
it checked. We promised to give more information after landing in Gander. There
were many unhappy passengers but that is par for the course.
We landed in Gander about 40 minutes after the start of this episode.
There were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from all over the
world.
Romans 12:13
John 13:17
Matthew 25:31-40
“Diverted Flight to Canada” #2
After we parked on the ramp
the captain made the following announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if all these airplanes around us
have the same instrument problem as we have. But the reality is that we are here
for a good reason." Then he went on to explain the little bit we knew about the
situation in the US. There were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. Local time
at Gander was 12:30 p.m. (11:00 a.m. EST) Gander control told us to stay put. No
one was allowed to get off the aircraft.
No one on the ground was allowed to come near the aircrafts. Only a car from the
airport police would come around once in a while, look us over and go on to the
next airplane. In the next hour or so all the airways over the North Atlantic
were vacated and Gander alone ended up with 53 airplanes from all over the
world, out of which 27 were flying US flags. We were told that each and every
plane was to be off loaded, one at a time, with the foreign carriers given the
priority. We were No.14 in the US category. We were further told that we would
be given a tentative time to deplane at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile bits of news started to come in over the aircraft radio and for the
first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in
New York and into the Pentagon in DC. People were trying to use their cell
phones but were unable to connect due to a different cell system in Canada. Some
did get through but were only able to get to the Canadian operator who would
tell them that the lines to the US were either blocked or jammed and to try
again. Some time late in the evening the news filtered to us that the World
Trade Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking had resulted in
a crash. Now the passengers were totally bewildered and emotionally exhausted
but stayed calm as we kept reminding them to look around to see that we were not
the only ones in this predicament.
There were 52 other planes with people on them in the same situation. We also
told them that the Canadian Government was in charge and we were at their mercy.
True to their word, at 6 p.m., Gander airport told us that our turn to deplane
would come at 11 a.m., the next morning. That took the last wind out of the
passengers and they simply resigned and accepted this news without much noise
and really started to get into a mode of spending the night on the airplane.
Gander had promised us any and all medical attention if needed; medicine, water,
and lavatory servicing. And they were true to their word.
Fortunately we had no medical situation during the night. We did have a young
lady who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took REALLY good care of her. The
night passed without any further complications on our airplane despite the
uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. About 10:30 on the morning of the
12th we were told to get ready to leave the aircraft.
“Diverted Flight to Canada” #3
A convoy of school buses
showed up at the side of the airplane, the stairway was hooked up and the
passengers were taken to the terminal for "processing". We, the crew, were taken
to the same terminal but were told to go to a different section, where we were
processed through Immigration and customs and then had to register with the Red
Cross. After that we were isolated from our passengers and were taken in a
caravan of vans to a very small hotel in the town of Gander. We had no idea
where our passengers were going.
The town of Gander has a population of 10,400 people. Red Cross told us that
they were going to process about 10,500 passengers from all the airplanes that
were forced into Gander. We were told to just relax at the hotel and wait for a
call to go back to the airport, but not to expect that call for a while. We
found out the total scope of the terror back home only after getting to our
hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all started.
Meanwhile we enjoyed ourselves going around town discovering things and enjoying
the hospitality. The people were so friendly and they just knew that we were the
"Plane People". We all had a great time until we got that call, 2 days later, on
the 14th at 7 a.m. We made it to the airport by
8:30 a.m. and left for Atlanta at 12:30 p.m. arriving in Atlanta at about
4:30 p.m.. (Gander is 1 hour and 30 minutes ahead of EST, yes!, 1 hour and 30
minutes.)
But that's not what I wanted to tell you. What passengers told us was so
uplifting and incredible and the timing couldn't have been better. We found out
that Gander and the surrounding small communities, within a 75 Kilometer radius,
had closed all the high schools, meeting halls, lodges, and any other large
gathering places. They converted all these facilities to a mass lodging area.
Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up. ALL
the high school students HAD to volunteer taking care of the "GUESTS".
Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called Lewisporte, about 45 Kilometers
from Gander. There they were put in a high school. If any women wanted to be in
a women-only facility, that was arranged. Families were kept together.
All the elderly passengers were given no choice and were taken to private homes.
Remember that young pregnant lady, she was put up in a private home right across
the street from a 24 hour Urgent Care type facility. There were DDS on call and
they had both male and female nurses available and stayed with the crowd for the
duration. Phone calls and emails to US and Europe were available for everyone
once a day.
“Diverted Flight to Canada” #4
During the days the
passengers were given a choice of "Excursion" trips. Some people went on boat
cruises of the lakes and harbors. Some went to see the local forests. Local
bakeries stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests. Food was prepared by
all the residents and brought to the school for those who elected to stay put.
Others were driven to the eatery of their choice and fed. They were given tokens
to go to the local Laundromat to wash their clothes, since their luggage was
still on the aircraft. In other words every single need was met for those
unfortunate travelers. Passengers were crying while telling us these stories.
After all that, they were delivered to the airport right on time and without a
single one missing or late. All because the local Red Cross had all the
information about the goings on back at Gander and knew which group needed to
leave for the airport at what time. Absolutely incredible.
When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise.
Everybody knew everybody else by their name. They were swapping stories of their
stay, impressing each other with who had the better time. It was mind-
boggling. Our flight back to Atlanta looked like a party flight. We simply
stayed out of their way. The passengers had totally bonded and they were calling
each other by their first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses, and email
addresses.
And then a strange thing happened. One of our business class passengers
approached me and asked if he could speak over the PA to his fellow passengers.
We never, never, allow that. But something told me to get out of his way. I said
"of course". The gentleman picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what
they had just gone through in the last few days. He reminded them of the
hospitality they had received at the hands of total strangers. He further stated
that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of the town of
Lewisporte. He said he was going to set up a Trust Fund under the name of DELTA
15 (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide a
scholarship for high school student(s) of Lewisporte to help them go to college.
He asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travelers.
When the paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone
numbers and addresses, it totaled to $14.5K or about $20K Canadian. The
gentleman who started all this turned out to be an MD from Virginia. He promised
to match the donations and to start the administrative work on the scholarship.
He also said that he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them
to donate as well.
Why, all of this? Just because some people in far away places were kind to some
strangers, who happened to literally drop in among them? WHY NOT?