Theology, Hospitality, ... and Christmas

"The final words of Mary at the Annunciation - "You see before you the Lord's servant; let it happen to me as you have said" - show clearly the aim of all theology. They create the inner space in which God's word can happen to us. The purpose of theological understanding is not to grasp, control, or even use God's word, but to become increasingly willing to let the word of God speak to us, guide us, move us, and lead us to places far beyond our own comprehension."

-- Henri Nouwen

Dios es Amor...

After rigorously grilling the respondent, the prosecutor asked the young man on the stand, "Sir, I noticed you've been writing on your hand, are you taking notes of the case?"
"No." replied the young man.
"May I ask, what are you writing on your hand?"

"Dios es amor.
Dios es amor.
Dios es amor."

--

hospitality...

i been reading the biography of Henri Nouwen, and its been pretty interesting... There's this little bit on Nouwen's views of Loneliness and Hospitality, and it says:

"Hospitality is the ability to pay attention to guests (concentration) and create an empty space where guests can find their own souls (community). For Nouwen, this is a healing ministry because it takes away the illusion that wholeness can simply be given by one to another. It does not remove the loneliness and pain of the other person but invites them to recognize their loneliness on a level where it can be shared."

i like that... listening to one another, paying attention to one another, "creating an empty space where guests can find their own souls"...

God,
May our lives manifest this liberating hospitality, that through this, those who rest in it's midst may continually catch glimpses of your face and find comfort.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.