From guest blogger Pastor Meg McBride, Hope Recovery Faith Community.
During the Spiritual Soul Center picnic last week, you may have been wondering, “Why are there three trailers sitting in the backyard?” One of Hope Recovery’s missions is to connect and serve persons experiencing homelessness. This summer we are growing our outreach to include a new initiative: a mobile shower trailer!
St. Jude’s MCC will be offering persons experiencing homelessness weekly hot showers every Friday morning beginning on April 14th (Rev. John would love some help on this project!). We hope to expand our schedule throughout the summer, traveling around the city and working in collaboration with Vigilant Hope’s shower trailer ministry.
This week I’ve been putting up new shower curtains, organizing personal care products and “tidying up the place” so that the guests that come to bathe will experience the best we are able to give – we call it “Radical Hospitality.” As I was organizing the towels and washcloths, I discovered that many of the washcloths were frayed and unsightly and so I put them in our rag bag (where they belong). Then I got BRAND NEW washcloths for our guests. (We could use a few more new ones by the way).
We tend to think that our discarded items, hand-me-downs, and stuff we will no longer wear or use is OK to give to those who are poor and in need, but Radical Hospitality is about giving our best. Give what is new, perfect, clean and lavish. Enact your giving with the highest vision of hospitality that communicates compassion and deep care for one another.
I promise you that the Food Bank isn’t going to miss your expired can of pumpkin or cranberry sauce (throw it out if it’s past the date). Go and act with the words of Jesus in mind, “that the last will be the first, and the first will be the last.”
Give your riches instead of rags!!! Practice Radical Hospitality!
