As I’m re-calibrating to life in Canada for the next few months, phthisiatrician I’ve been thinking about how to be generous with my time and money while I’m here. It’s gotten me thinking about the negative experiences I’ve had with some folk’s well-intentioned but poorly executed version of hospitality. One strain is “museum” hospitality, click in which the host(ess) has prepared food and an environment that is beautiful to look at, but you are not allowed to touch. The messiness of life has been put away for the occasion and everything is polished to a high gloss.

I’ve never felt comfortable in these situations and more so if it is with someone I have a close relationship with; it feels as if I have been placed on one side of the ocean and the host is on the other shore. It’s all about the host’s expectations being met, rather than extending kindness to the guest.

Perhaps the worst experiences in museum hospitality for me are when it is within the church body. We are constantly admonished in the New Testament to live out the good news authentically with our time, money, relationships. But like a museum curator, we present well-edited facades to our fellow journey-men when they are in our homes or we are spending time with them, politely side-stepping issues of importance and hiding who we truly are.

Life can be ugly and messy, but that’s also the beauty and wonder of it.  It’s worth exploring a life outside of the museum and seeing what’s on the other side.