“Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it.” - Matthew 10:11-12
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
It’s funny how certain Bible verses just stick with me. The verse above is one of those. For some reason, I find the concept of “greeting” a “house” fascinating. It’s not that Jesus wants us to greet the building. I imagine instead that He wants us to greet the people who live there. But maybe He also wanted us to let our soul commune with it, too—reaching out to it and knocking, asking if we are welcome there. Sometimes, I feel in my spirit that there is something off about a place in my travels. For example, in some of the horrible castles where they kept slaves on either side of the Atlantic Ocean that I’ve visited, there is a sadness in every stone. Conversely, I’ve “greeted” so many Sanctuaries in our churches by singing to them, and I’ve often found a joyful resonance coming back to my ear and my heart. We are soul-full people, and when we come to a new place, I wonder what will happen when our souls greet it. Will we be welcome there? Is it an oasis for our souls? Or, will it quietly whisper that we are not welcome in that place, so just “keep it movin’”?
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been involved on your behalf with Northport PrideFest events like the interfaith prayer service and the flag raising. I love that our community continues to go out of its way to welcome our LGBTQ+ neighbors and invite them to participate more deeply in our fellowship—not because we have to, but because we want to.
In similar fashion, I’m proud of local efforts and those of our New York Annual Conference (NYAC), who are reaching out to immigrants living in our area and trying to meet their needs and make themselves at home. NYAC Immigration Law and Justice, for example, provides legal counsel for those navigating the rigorous immigration and naturalization processes for those who can’t afford a lawyer. This isn’t seeking to “short cut” the system, but helping those trying to do theright thing to navigate our nebulous path to citizenship. In other words, it’s simply helping our neighbors to more fully become one with us.
I believe that there are few things more Christ-like than to welcome marginalized voices into our midst. Imagine if one of Jesus’ disciples came to your town like they did in Matthew 10. When they come to “greet” our house, will they find welcome here, or a spirit that says to keep walking? Given the choice, I think I know which I’d rather be.
Your brother in Christ,
~Pastor David Czeisel