Readings:
Galatians 3:1-5
Luke 11:5-13
Reflection:
There’s nothing like travelling in another country, not knowing the language, with no fixed agenda and little money, to truly experience the generosity and kindness of humanity.
Our daughter recently returned from Armenia, travelling there with her partner for a wedding, and subsequently trekking the Legends Trail. As the two entered towns and villages along the way, through forests and trails, encountering stray kittens, ticks, deep scrub and many wrong turns, the Armenians came out to greet them, offering vodka, wine, food, warmth, a bed and hospitality. They refused any payment and often sent them on their way the next morning with provisions fit for royalty. How easy it seemed to be for these people, not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, to offer the little they had to the strangers in need at their doorstep.
Which one of us would offer a stone when asked for a loaf of bread? Or a snake when asked for a fish? I wonder how quick I would be to invite the bedraggled stranger into my house or to offer the unkempt and weary traveller my finest wine and best produce. When that stranger comes persistently knocking at my door, will I rise from my bed and wait on them?
Angela Marquis works for the Passionists at St Joseph’s in Tasmania, and with WATAC (Women and the Australian Church), and is a founding member of the Australian Women Preach organising team.