The Importance of Showing Hospitality To Strangers

People come and people go in our lives all the time.  Often our paths cross with others and little happens to change us at all.  At other times people enter our lives for a short time and change our lives and the lives of those around us forever.  For the past twelve months, my life and that of the people of Trinity Episcopal Church intersected with the Shipman family who moved to Wetumpka so the father, an Air Force Chaplain could attend the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base.  The Shipman’s, who are Lutherans, became very much a part of Trinity and had a positive impact on the lives of many of us. 

The boys, Dylan and Mark were the first to get involved as they became active members of Trinity’s Youth Group.  Nena, the mother, is a loving and caring woman who enriched the lives of all who got to know her and “Pastor” John preached, celebrated the Eucharist, taught Adult Christian Education and became a friend and confidant.  An older daughter, Jamie, spent a portion of the year with us, never missed worship, attended College and worked at Ruby Tuesday’s where she brought a smile to the faces of those on whom she waited.

I will also add that Trinity had a life changing affect on the Shipmans as well.  The Face Book comments between Dylan and Mark and the other members of the youth group demonstrate the friendships that formed within this wonderful group of young people over the past year.  One of the youth group members commented that “she knew they were “lying about leaving” and that she knew they would be in church next Sunday.

Unfortunately, it is true, they are leaving us.  John, the father, preached his farewell sermon on Sunday and Trinity had a reception to honor the family and to send them on their way with God’s blessing.  (Chaplain, Major) John Shipman graduated this morning, the family packed the U-Haul this afternoon and they will leave tomorrow (Tuesday, June 7) at 5:00 a.m.

So yes, they are heading to California where John will continue his work as a chaplain, and the others will be just as involved in the life of the community and the church as they were in Wetumpka.  But through God’s grace they will live on in our hearts and we in theirs and we will all be better people for their having been a part of each other’s lives for a year.  Isn’t it wonderful and powerful how God puts us in each others’ lives and changes us forever.  As the Writer of the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament puts it, “²Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”(Hebrews 13:2)  Truly, we have all been blessed.

Blessings and Peace,

Ben