“Have you eaten?”

This simple greeting, deeply ingrained in Korean culture, speaks volumes about the importance of community and shared experience. It is more than a question of sustenance. It is an invitation to communion, a gesture of care that transcends the mere act of eating.

In Korean culture, meals are often the backdrop for laughter, storytelling and connection. Yet, while sharing food is a fundamental expression of hospitality in many cultures, it is not always a universal practice, particularly within the context of faith communities and the church.

Hospitality is spirituality. The concept of hospitality, especially within the church, extends far beyond commercial industries like hotels and restaurants. 

Christian hospitality is a spiritual discipline that is too often overlooked or undervalued in individual and communal life. It needs to be integrated into our daily practice.

Hospitality requires us to move away from the individuality the West likes to emphasize and toward the other and community. It draws the stranger into the fold to make them feel like they belong.

At its core, hospitality is the generous and open-hearted reception of others: guests, visitors, and strangers alike.

It is an act of spiritual significance that invites us to embody God’s grace and mercy in our interactions with others. Hospitality, in this sense, is not merely about offering comfort. It is about cultivating a spirituality that draws us out of isolation and into the embrace of community

The spiritual practice of hospitality is especially critical in an era marked by widespread loneliness, isolation and the fragmentation of community, all exacerbated by social media and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

This summer, through the kind invitation of Rev. Charissa Suli, President of the Uniting Church in Australia, I had the privilege of speaking at various conferences, events and churches of the Uniting Church and United Theological Seminary for over a month. During this time, I experienced firsthand the transformative power of hospitality. Although I was far from home, separated from the familiar comforts of family and place, the hospitality extended to me by church leaders, friends and strangers sustained me.

Whether sharing a meal of rice, kimchi and ramen or offering simple acts of kindness, like coffee and even ginseng (my health food), each person and friend who went out of their way to provide embodied the spirit of hospitality. These gestures nourished both my body and soul. This warmth and care reflected not just human kindness but a deeper spiritual calling— one that aligns with the heart of the Christian faith.

The Bible consistently teaches that hospitality is not merely a suggestion. It is a divine mandate.

We are invited to practice hospitality as recipients of God’s hospitality, grace, mercy and warmth. God reaches out to us and welcomes us into the banquet God has prepared for us. As God reaches out to us, we need to do likewise.

The Bible speaks of welcoming strangers. Jesus says, “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36).

Jesus embodied hospitality and asks us to do likewise.

Christ’s call to care for the marginalized— the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the imprisoned— is a call to radical hospitality. It reminds us that in welcoming the other, we welcome God. This invitation reflects the abundant grace we receive from God, who offers us a place at the heavenly banquet and calls us to extend that same welcome to others.

The simple act of hospitality can change the world.

It can push us to welcome the strangers who move into our communities, cities and countries. It encourages us to create tables to share our foods, welcoming people of different ethnicities, backgrounds and religions.

A lot can happen around a table when we share bread. It is difficult for enemies to fight if they are breaking bread together. Therefore, hospitality is a must if we are to survive as a human community. 

In light of today’s pressing global challenges, the practice of hospitality becomes even more urgent. As we grapple with issues such as immigration, racial injustice and economic disparity, the act of welcoming the stranger takes on profound moral and spiritual significance.

The United States, in particular, faces the challenge of responding to the increasing number of refugees and immigrants seeking asylum within its borders. How we choose to receive these individuals— whether with compassion or rejection— will not only shape our national identity but also reflect the depth of our commitment to living out Christ’s call to love our neighbors.

I was struck by the enormous warmth and hospitality of church leaders, friends, professors, students, laity and strangers in Australia. Their hospitality made all the difference in how I experienced and enjoyed my time away from home. 

The warmth of people reaching out sustained, encouraged, motivated, and kept me strong and healthy. Their hospitality was not a mere courtesy, but a spiritual practice.

If such acts of kindness and welcome can make such a difference in one person’s life, imagine the transformative impact they could have on a broader scale.

We know that a small act of Jesus sharing the Last Supper before the crucifixion made all the difference in the world. We continue to practice the communion table at churches and faith gatherings. When people from different backgrounds, ethnicities and religions come together at the table, we witness God’s hospitality and the dissolving of barriers.

In a world where political and social divisions are so deeply entrenched, the act of breaking bread together offers a glimpse of what is possible: a community where enemies become friends and strangers become family. Hospitality, in this way, has the power to transform not only individual lives but also the fabric of society.

The act of hospitality is not passive. It is a form of active resistance against a culture of isolation and division. By sharing our tables, homes and lives with others, we participate in God’s redemptive work in the world.

The world is fraught with challenges, from loneliness, suffering, conflict and war. But in the midst of this, the practice of hospitality offers a glimpse of hope. By enlarging our tables and extending our hands to those who are lost, marginalized and suffering, we become agents of God’s grace and love in a broken world.

Let us all be change makers and part of this movement as we engage in hospitality in our homes, faith communities and churches. In doing so, we reflect the heart of God and become a movement that has the potential to heal our fractured world.