Month: January 2026

The Purple Foyer Welcome

Over the Christmas holidays, an experience brought to mind the Biblical principle of hospitality.  Possible blog post topics pop into my head, and I often let them formulate for days, or weeks, before I finally put my thoughts into writing.  As I ruminated on the topic of hospitality, the word surfaced in my Bible study as a desired quality in leadership (Titus 1 v 8).  Days later, hospitality was the theme in a devotional I’m currently reading.  For me, that was enough confirmation to pen the blog!

It’s OK that none of us has a grand foyer like The Mandarin Oriental.

As I mentioned, after Christmas we experienced overnight hospitality with close friends from our DC days.  Halfway through our two-day drive home, we arrived at their house depleted of emotional and physical energy.  Approaching the front stoop and entering their purple foyer, I felt relief at being “home,” as I later shared in a thank you note. The familiar surroundings, the memories, the dear friendship and warm welcome ministered deeply.  There we’ve sat by fires in the fireplace and cookouts on the porch.  We landed there the night we left our family home for the last time and munched leftover Halloween candy in our exhaustion.  The guest room often welcomes me with a special treat from the hostess, and the host makes sure we help ourselves to the tea drawer.  Being able to spend the night in their home and catch breakfast together before hitting the road again is the spiritual gift of hospitality: sharing out of God’s provision to others in the family of Christ.

While specific spiritual gifts are given especially to some, the New Testament calls all Christians to be hospitable.  Romans 12 v 13 says, “Practice hospitality.”  I do not think that means doing routines like piano or soccer practice, rather the instruction suggests making hospitality part of your way of life. Unfortunately, hospitality seems threatening to many due to the likes of Martha Stewart in my day and Joanna Gaines these days.  We get the idea that everything must be perfect: the food, the décor, and the beautiful hostess.  But this is not God’s hospitality plan.  Biblical hospitality is genuine and unassuming, from a humble heart and even a humble abode. I encourage you to practice it:  have a friend in for coffee, a family over for supper or host a mid-winter party.  Scripture says you might even entertain angels unaware (Hebrews 13 v 2)!

Happy birthday, Susan!

 

 

A Lesson from 2 Oxford Dons

I listened to a podcast recently on the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, two 20th century English authors (Lindsay Mast interviewing Joseph Loconte, The World and Everything In It, link below).  Specifically, the discussion centered on the context of their friendship and a shared mission that developed.  They were Oxford professors building a friendship in the 1930’s, as British foundational beliefs in humanity, Judeo-Christian values and human purpose declined, followed by isolationism and apathy toward Hitler’s rise in power, before eventually facing the threat of German invasion, the terror of the bombing of London.

Into this time period, the two men, Lewis and Tolkien, forged a deep relationship, grappling with the problems of their day, concerned about the demise of a classic Christian worldview, and asking how in their university setting with their limited assets they could fight back.  They agreed they could write!  They could write stories reflecting the great story; stories that demonstrated goodness over evil, fighting for what is right, heroism in a pure form.  The result was Lewis’s space trilogy Out of the Silent Planet and Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Armed with their thoughts and a pen (or a typewriter) they produced a mighty advance, “a beachhead of resistance against the ideological madness that is (was) all around them.” (Loconte)

The modern acclaim for these two esteemed intellectual authors clouds the reality that they really didn’t start with much.  They could only endeavor to take a stab at a large and looming moral collapse with the sword of their pen, their writing skills (Ephesians 2 v 10 ).  But oh my, how God used and continues to use their stories to point readers to God’s redemptive story, the real savior, Jesus Christ!

Using what you have, the competence and forte of your background, your mind, and your heart, to participate in God’s kingdom is the call of Christ followers.  Years ago, I heard Rick Warren preach a sermon on Moses’ calling.  When Moses, joined by his brother Aaron, did not think he had much to offer as God called him, he was asked what they had on hand.  Aaron held a staff or a walking stick, and the Lord told him to throw it down, where it immediately became a live, writhing snake!  God used Moses’ one asset when Moses was willing to respond.

The feature photo and this one were taken in Oxford, England. This is the door of Magdalen College, where C.S. Lewis taught.

This is what I pray for myself in the New Year:  in interviewer Lindsay Mast’s words to “meet the forces of evil in starting where we are and doing what we can with what we have.”  Loconte agreed, quoting Ecclesiastes, “Cast your bread upon the waters.” (Ecclesiastes 11 v 1) Blessings and Godspeed for your 2026 endeavors,  Brenda

 https://wng.org/podcasts/oxfords-inklings-and-the-christian-imagination-1764950179, Lindsay Mast interviewing Joseph Loconte for The World and Everything In It, wng.org, 12/06/2025.

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