All Are Welcome (Friday Devotional)

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

- Hebrews 13:2

It was a normal Monday morning at the Petco in Atascocita, Texas. People came in to buy cat food. People shopped for dog toys. People inquired about the next available day for pet adoptions.

And then, all of a sudden, everyone’s eyes shifted to the front of the store. That’s because local rancher Vincent Browning—in the ultimate test of the store’s “ALL LEASHED PETS ARE WELCOME” sign—came walking through the front doors with his giant African Watusi steer, Oliver…on a leash, naturally.

And, to the credit of the store, the prank was a hit. Employees, according to Browning, “welcomed Oliver with open arms.” Shoppers took selfies with him. Everyone from cashiers to the store’s manager stepped up to pet him. By the time Browning (and Oliver) left the store, there could be no doubt—as advertised, all leashed pets truly were welcome.

The story, for all the laughs it engendered then and now, is also a wakeup call about Christian hospitality. People of faith are quick to say that they love everyone, that all are welcome in their home, in their neighborhood, and especially in their church. But too often, when someone who doesn’t fit the mold shows up to put that love to the test, they are met with looks, questions, and judgments that others don’t receive.

The Bible tells us that Christians are called neither to harsh condemnation nor to blind tolerance, but to holy hospitality, showing the sacrificial love of Christ to strangers no matter where they come from or what they believe. It is by doing so that the genuineness of our love is put to the test, that people can see whether our attitude is shaped by the cross of Christ or the whims of the world.

A Petco in Atascocita passed the test of hospitality, welcoming the strangest of visitors with affection and kindness. In Jesus’ name, may you do the same.