Hospitality: Part Deux

I wonder if hospitality is an area that the Church should consider reclaiming. While we're at it, maybe we should carefully reexamine our understanding of hospitality. Here's a thought provoking passage on the subject

"In past centuries,...[w]elcoming strangers into a home and offering them food, shelter, and protection were the key components in the practice of hospitality...For the most part, the term "hospitality" has lost its moral dimension and, in the process, most Christians have lost touch with the amazing rich and complex tradition of hospitality. Today when we think of hospitality, we don't think first of welcoming strangers. We picture having family and friends over for a pleasant meal. Or we think of the "hospitality industry," of hotels and restaurants which are open to strangers as long as they have money or credit cards...In an case, today most understandings of hospitality have a minimal moral component--hospitality is a nice extra if we have the time or the resources, but we rarely view it as a spiritual obligation or as a dynamic expression of vibrant Christianity."

~Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition by Christine Pohl