Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for thereby some have entertained angels. Hebrews 13:1-2
Abraham entertained angels. Three men who came to his tent to tell him God would grant him a son. And in a burst of giddiness, his wife Sara giggled at the thought. His nephew Lot entertained the angels by saving them from harm in Sodom. In return, he and his family were given the opportunity to escape- except his wife looked back.
Angels are celestial beings, not humans. we are told that in Scriptures. They are not our dead relatives, but guardians assigned to watch over us and battle the principalities we cannot see. They are also messengers from God.
It is often easy for us to overlook their influence in our lives because, like Sara and Lot’s wife, we women tend to concentrate on the here and now. There’s an old adage of the man calling his wife and saying, “Let’s go out on a date tonight on the spur of the moment, just like we used to before kids.” His head in the loftiness of a romantic evening. Hers is filled with getting the babysitter, picking up the dry cleaning, getting a substitute at the soup kitchen and rescheduling the dog’s vet appointment.
Men shake hands and greet while we scurry like Marthas to set the table, dust at the last minute and quickly add more sauce to the spaghetti.
Perhaps that it too stereotypical. But in my experience, we women often miss the angels’ purpose for being there because our hospitality skills are caught up in the preparations details. Even at church, the hospitality committee is usually the one responsible for making sure the tasty snacks are set out as church lets out, and then coffee pot is turned off and washed out after everyone else leaves — not the ones to entertain strangers with a warm smile and handshake.
Holy FATHER, let me not be so caught up in serving You that I miss the messages, protection or serendipities Your angels bring or the chance to show Your love to others. Let me see beyond the now and feel Your loving presence, through Your Son who did all for us and for whom the angels declare Lord. Amen.
