I lived in Poland for many years before I discovered a fact about Polish culture that I wish I had known from the beginning: it is impolite to accept food or drink on the first offer. When I was made aware of this oh-so-important detail (“why wasn’t I told earlier?”), my mind raced back over all the times guests had graced my apartment, and I realized – to my horror – the unavoidable truth: many of them must have gone home hungry and thirsty. 

I mean, when someone politely refused my offer for tea or coffee, they didn’t want any. Right? How could I have possibly guessed that they were really dying of thirst?

Being a good host can be tricky in the best of circumstances, but adding cultural differences to the mix makes it even more of a challenge. It’s enough to make anyone but the most adventurous want to shrink back and avoid it altogether. And yet God calls us to be hospitable to anyone who needs a smile and a hot cup of tea.

Hospitality comes naturally for some people, while for others – like myself – it requires taking a step out of one’s comfort zone. But regardless of our predispositions, no one wants to mess up and come across as a bad host. Unfortunately, the truth is that we’ll all make mistakes at times – especially in another culture. 

So should we let that paralyze us? Obviously not. Like with language learning, blunders come with the territory. We do everything to avoid them, but when they happen, we learn and move on.  

What is the purpose of hospitality, anyway? To show God’s love, as well as our respect and appreciation. If we focus on expressing kindness and love, the chances are that our guests will be touched by our attitude and not by any gaffes we make. 

In Romans 2:4, the Apostle Paul writes that God’s kindness leads people to repentance. Hospitality is what makes God’s kindness visible on earth, so let’s never shy away from opening our homes to those around us.