Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! - Isaiah 1:10
*Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse*
I never focus on verse 1 because I am so averse to the way the story of Sodom and Gomorrah has been used to oppressed the LGBTQIA community.
In a way, for “progressive” Christians, the story of these towns is like “Bruno” in Encanto: we don’t talk about it. But, just as Bruno’s story, we need to talk about in order to change the narrative.
The people of these towns beat up and gang-raped the messengers of God. They were inhospitable to foreigners. Those are the sins that God punished them for. So when the Israelites come with to God with sacrifices and offerings while being jerks to others, God reminds them of Sodom and Gomorrah: “don’t come to me pretending to be pious when you are an ass to your neighbors.”
How do you show hospitality to strangers that come your way?
How might you elevate your practice of hospitality to those you encounter this week?
Share a thought in the comments below. Or if you are too shy for that, share us with a friend.
Elevating hospitality means being more open than closed to me. As I head into another meeting, I want to try being open to what I'm hearing rather than defending what I know.