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This week I found myself falling in love again with what I call my beloved New York City. We’ve been called many names over the decades. In fact when I looked up names for NYC on Google, it listed 98 names the city’s been called ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. Here are a few you may or may not have heard: ‘The Big Apple,’ ‘The City that Never Sleeps,’ ‘The City of Cities,’ ‘The Capital of the World,’ ‘The Melting Pot,’ ‘The City of Friendly People,’ ‘The Wonderful Town.’ I believe all of those names – and many more – fit this special place – my home town. It’s a place of diversity, divinity, distinctive art, delicious food, distinct music, and plenty of dirt.

So have any of you been to my home town recently? These days there are a lot of folks on the streets and in the subways who are tourists. It’s quite easy to spot them because New Yorkers tend to be dressed in black clothes, and many out-of-towners might be wearing red or green even pink. But in any color or culture or language, people are welcome to my home town. If someone is holding a street map or looking around trying to figure out where they are, almost immediately they are surrounded by New Yorkers asking if they can be of assistance: ‘Can I help you? Are you lost?’

This past week a woman from Virginia told me she was looking for a church and realized she was lost. Suddenly a stranger, a New Yorker, appeared and asked if she could help her. When she explained where she wanted to go, the stranger started to give directions about how to get there. Then she stopped and said, ‘Oh, never mind. I can take you there.’ Which is what she did – before she turned around and retraced the 6 blocks she had walked with her in the opposite direction of where she was going.

Talk about hospitality and love toward strangers! I am reminded of the Hebrews 13 scripture that reads: ‘Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.’ Or the words from Matthew 25: ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…’

If the Christ walks in my home town or in yours, will we ask if he needs our help?

Welcome Holy One to my home town – and to all of our homes. Forgive us when we close our eyes and our doors to you. May we learn to be more open, to show hospitality to the stranger, and to entertain angels without knowing it. Thank you for loving us even in our inhospitable moments. Amen.

Joy Carol
www.joycarol.com