“Radical Hospitality” - Day 2: Wednesday, 20/1/2010

I arrived in Thika to tales of a two day delayed arrival in Nairobi because of weather in Europe, multiple cases of lost luggage, some never found and multiple case of “running stomach” (diarrhea). My friend from Bexley Hall Seminary, Michael Way, experienced all three. It was a bit embarrassing to say that my flight had been uneventful and had actually arrived in Nairobi 30 minutes early! During my first stay in Kenya in 2009, I never got sick once.

The highlight of the day was a dinner in honor of the TLS contingent at the bishop’s home set in the lawn under what became a pleasantly cool night with beautiful star filled sky. There was a banquet spread with many of the best Kikuyu dishes. It was a time to be reacquainted with Bishop Gideon Githiga and his wife Mary. In my conversation with the bishop, he was very gracious and told me that he could tell I had a heart full of love for God’s mission. It is hard not to have such a heart here where the love of God pours forth in abundance where what in the U.S. we’ve come to call “radical hospitality” is simply true hospitality here in Kenya. The Christians here truly take to heart the scripture imperative to welcome and care for the stranger. The interesting thing is that when you do this you cease to be strangers and instead become friends as you discover yet one more brother or sister in Christ.