building a culture
What is Unreasonable Hospitality? The title intrigued me as I perused the public library NEW shelves. It seems like a Christian concept. A radically open table. Jesus’ inclusion of people from all strata of society- whether on a grassy hillside multiplying loaves and fish, or in a wealthy home that he didn’t own.
Far from the fine-dining scene of New York City, I had never heard of Eleven Madison Park, which Will Guidara and team transformed from a struggling brasserie to being named the best restaurant in the world. Though I have no desire to ever run a restaurant, and am not aspiring to any awards, I appreciate his insights into building a culture where people feel seen and welcomed. The concepts are downright biblical, whether they know it or not.
BREAKING RULES AND BUILDING A TEAM
This Chapter 8 heading would be a fitting description of the church in Antioch, where the scattered disciples first began to proclaim the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles. Rule-breaking. The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to investigate.
When he arrived and saw evidence of God’s grace, he was overjoyed and encouraged everyone to remain fully committed to the Lord. Acts 11:23 (CEB)
Welcoming Gentiles was not a foregone conclusion or an obvious choice. It was Barnabas’ job to clean it up. This was not planned church growth. The leaders had just called Peter on the carpet for entering the home and eating with the uncircumcised. I wonder how many times in history that the good news has spilled outside the walls of the church. Sometimes we recognize radical inclusion as God’s grace, and other times we reject the new developments as unorthodox.
Barnabas responded in this way because he was a good man, whom the Holy Spirit had endowed with exceptional faith. A considerable number of people were added to the Lord. Acts 11:24 (CEB)
The community was growing, but who would teach them? Gentiles did not have the foundation of the Law and the Prophets to understand how to live as God’s chosen family in the world. Barnabas recognized the need to build a team. And he knew that theology was important. He sought an expert in scripture to explain how it all worked together- Jews and Gentiles in the same fellowship. Who better than a Pharisee follower of the Way?
CREATING A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION
Barnabas went to Tarsus in search of Saul. When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They were there for a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching large numbers of people. Acts 11:25-26a (CEB)
Discipleship is a process. Meeting and teaching take time. In Antioch, they were creating something unprecedented. Exciting. Infectious. Sometimes I think I glimpse these possibilities. That God is doing something new. Maybe some rules are getting broken. And to serve this growing congregation, we need to build a team. The beauty of Barnabas’ choice of Saul is the marrying of the traditional with innovation. Saul had all the credentials of the finest theologians and his personal interaction with the risen Lord transformed his understanding of those same scriptures. What a gift! Barnabas recognized the work of the Spirit in Antioch and in Saul and went out of his way to bring them together. A collaboration that impacts us to this day.
I love reading about the teamwork of kitchen and hospitality that transformed a struggling restaurant. Seeing the truths of biblical concepts applied outside the church is fun and inspiring. Thinking about how Barnabas and Saul were doing similar work in Antioch enlivens the scripture for our own time.
Like Barnabas, may we recognize God’s grace of unreasonable hospitality. May we experience the joy of radical inclusion, and encourage each other to remain fully committed to the Lord. And may we build a team to meet and teach the growing community of faith. -Renée