We have been so encouraged by the first three months at Pear Tree, and are continuing to learn what it looks like to be part of an intercultural church community.
The theme for this blog post is hospitality and home. I had the pleasure of unexpected hospitality from a member of our Pear Tree community. He had cooked an amazing curry for an event at our sending church the night before, and I turned up, early in the morning, with my youngest son at his house. We were returning his pots and thought we’d drop them off and then head back home (so much so that I didn’t even park my car properly!). We appeared at 7:45am on a Sunday morning, and as soon as Uncle opened the door, the welcome was tangible. We took the pans in, and he immediately said, “Come! Come in!”. We walked into the house, and Uncle started up the pan, to make some beautiful tea for us. After a tour of the house and his amazing building project, we sat down to tea. Uncle asked the question that usually I never know how to answer; “Where are you from?”. Today, that answer was straightforward. This was about swapping stories, and sharing cultures. We talked extensively about Ghana and India, and our respective last visits to our home nations. As my son tucked in to the biscuits with enthusiasm, he announced, “Thank you for these, Uncle. I haven’t had breakfast yet!”. “Oh, would you like a roti? Chapati?” “Yes, please!” And with that, Uncle headed straight back to the kitchen, and made a beautiful roti for my son. Hot and fresh, it both smelled and tasted absolutely delicious. After a little bit more time getting to know one another, we needed to go home, so we offered our heartfelt thanks to Uncle. I couldn’t help but feel that he felt just as delighted by the visit as we were. Just as we were leaving, he said, “Come back anytime. Now, my home is your home”.
That sense of open hearted welcome is so crucial to our Christian faith. My home is your home. The early church in Acts 2 met together in homes as they devoted themselves to one another. Jesus comforts His disciples in John 14 by reminding them that there are many rooms in His Father’s house and He is going to prepare a place for them. As we come together, week in and week out, we are reminded that, we are bringing God’s Kingdom here on earth. The home that we will one day enjoy, in the new Heaven and earth, is something we long for. Until that day, we will continue to open our hearts and open our homes to one another. My prayer is that anyone who walks through the doors of Pear Tree Church Hub, would feel that same sense of both welcome and home.
