Scripture: Hebrews 13:2 – “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (NRSVue)
There is a grocery store item that always makes me chuckle when I see it: entertaining crackers. I imagine the crackers singing or dancing or telling jokes. But it really means crackers that you use to entertain others, to show them hospitality and make them feel welcome in your home or gathering place. I have seen some very nice crackers of this sort at our church coffee hours from time to time. Although not on Christmas, where one might hope to see baby cheeses for the Baby Jesus.
Now ponder this question. What do Alan Rickman in Dogma, Michael Sheen in Good Omens, and Henry Travers in It’s a Wonderful Life have in common? They all played entertaining angels! But when we use the phrase “entertaining angels”, we do not mean angelic characters who are long-suffering, foppish, or clumsily endearing. We mean showing hospitality, welcoming angels into our lives and giving them the best service and compassion that we can.
The thing about those angel characters, and most angel characters in film and television like those in Highway to Heaven or Touched by an Angel, is that they appear human. They are not blindingly radiant beings with wings and halos. Part of this is because make-up and special effects are expensive. But the more important thing is that all throughout the Bible, angels regularly appear like anyone else. That is kind of the point.
There is a famous verse from the Letter to the Hebrews in its exhortation or “good advice” section: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” I see this as meaning two things. The most direct is that you never know who a stranger may truly be. The beggar or prisoner or person knocking at your door in the middle of the night might be more than they seem. And rather than insult God’s angels, it is proper to who hospitality to all.
But I think we can take this a step further, because in the example from the letter, we help people because some might be angels. There is always the rather likely possibility that they are not, but rather broken and flawed people that might be seen as not worthy of our sympathy or compassion. But in another way, everyone is an angel of God. We are all created in God’s image, we all have in inner spark of the divine through the Holy Spirit. And all are called to embody and enact God’s mercy and grace in the world. Therefore, we should show hospitality to everyone.
Now, there are limits to hospitality. We only have so much space, time, and resources to devote to the needs of strangers. But we often use these limitations as excuses to do nothing. We live in very inhospitable times, when trust of others seems like it is getting less and less every day. As people of faith, we need to do our part to resist this by emphasizing hospitality in all we do. So, offer a listening ear or a cup of coffee to an acquaintance in need. Give to the poor and show love to immigrants, prisoners, and others whom society sees as “less than.” You may be kind. You may be generous. You may even be humorous. But go out and spend time entertaining angels and becoming entertaining angels.
Prayer: God, open my heart to your presence in others. Amen.
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