Thoughts: Hospitality

Hospitality should be a religion. In ancient Greece Zeus was the God of hospitality. He would show up at people's homes, unannounced, as a beggar, or Leper, or widow, or Crone; Asking for some small kindness. A drop of oil, a bit of food, some water for washing. When answered with love: The giver was blessed, their opposite cursed. You get the idea. Islam has a similar rule, where impoverished strangers should be treated well, as a spiritual matter. Similarly the Hindu's, in one of their many paths, go out to the world as a beggar and may accept only that which is given freely. Saint Francis, too, went on a path of begging a.k.a. acceptance.

Many African tribes insist, as a rule, that you give to your guest what you have (no matter if you are giving your very last, give you must). When I was a Haver (someone who has things) I tried my best to make my guests feel at their home, when at mine. I always offered whatever food, drink, or drug I had. Always deferred my attention to them and what they wanted to do. I did pretty well. And those that I know who do not do this practice; I pity and feel I don't know.

A land of possessing, of holding to heart, for keeping and making your own. Where everyone, if they would just give away, would find it a very good world. For every ten people who talk about Hospitality, only one actually practices it at all (if even that many!).

To give what you have, what you earned, what you worked for, to give it away, to the wind. Sound good? I think not, and neither do you, but never-the-less it is BEST. To give it away, you get back something better. Don't trust me, just listen to the wind. When you open your hand you see thousands of grains, but in seconds, there is no more sand.