Rediscovering Radical Hospitality: Why 2025 Could Be Our Most Transformative Year

Have you ever noticed that some of the most important examples of hospitality in the Bible were framed with tension, drama, or awkwardness? The Bible has a Martha, but it doesn’t seem to have a Martha Stewart.

Instead we have the upper room where Jesus confronts Judas who is about to betray him and his disciples know something is up – there is definite tension in the air during this normally exciting holiday celebration.

Rahab welcomes the spies and proceeds to hide them from the authorities trying to capture them.

Or how about Abram entertaining the visitors and being confronted with Sarai’s laughter? Yes, awkward is kind of an understatement.

The early church met in homes in the midst of persecution. Today, we see the same thing in many countries.

We hear stories from war-torn times when enemies shared hospitality.

Hospitality is not usually seen as a radical move, but it sometimes is, and it is often transformative. We’ve talked for weeks about connection and building relationships through hospitality, but for 2025, I want to challenge us to broaden our views.

Hospitality as Resistance

Think about it: In an age where we swipe, scroll, and click our way through relationships, the simple act of inviting someone into our homes becomes almost subversive. When most people are ordering DoorDash alone or texting instead of talking, choosing to share a meal face-to-face becomes a quiet revolution.

Here’s how hospitality actively resists several powerful cultural currents:

1. It resists individualism – When society tells us to focus on self-care and personal space, hospitality says “My home isn’t just mine – it’s a gift to be shared.” It challenges the notion that our private spaces should remain private.
2. It resists efficiency culture – Our world values speed and productivity. Hospitality deliberately says “I’m going to spend three hours around a table just being with people.” Let’s be beautifully inefficient for a little while.
3. It resists perfectionism – In a curated Instagram world, true hospitality often happens in messy living rooms with mismatched chairs and pizza on paper plates. It values presence over presentation and is honestly much closer to God’s perfect heart that our stressed out perfection ever is.
4. It resists fear – In a time when many are afraid of those who think differently, hospitality bravely says “Come in, let’s talk.” The table becomes neutral ground where real dialogue can happen. It’s not always comfortable, but it is always amazing to connect with someone and start to see their hearts and understand why they believe the way they do.
5. It resists loneliness – While social media promises connection but delivers isolation, hospitality offers genuine community. It’s the difference between having 500 Facebook friends and having one friend who knows what’s in your refrigerator, and what’s really in your heart and on your mind–the plain, unvarnished (or adequately lighted) truth.

Think of Jesus’s ministry – how radical it was that He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He wasn’t just being friendly; He was actively resisting the social and religious barriers of His time. When we practice hospitality today, we can choose to follow in those revolutionary footsteps.

This reframes hospitality from a Martha Stewart-style entertaining challenge into something far more powerful – an act of cultural resistance that says “We choose real community over artificial connection, depth over superficiality, presence over convenience.”

A 2025 Challenge: Rather than making traditional resolutions this year, let’s commit to a year of “sacred welcome” – setting concrete goals for opening our homes and lives to others in 2025. Below are some ideas.

1. The “Always Add One” Practice

• When making dinner for your family, routinely cook enough for one extra person
• Keep basic supplies for impromptu hosting (tea, coffee, simple snacks)
• Develop the mindset that your regular family dinner can become a shared meal at a moment’s notice
• Practice saying “Would you like to join us?” instead of “We should get together sometime” (This is my favorite that I think will be most transformative for us).
• Invite singles/college students to your home for holidays or just a home-cooked meal

2. Create “Low Threshold” Welcomes

• Start with “threshold moments” – inviting neighbors in for 5 minutes when they drop off a package
• Host “Come as you are” gatherings where you explicitly tell people not to bring anything
• Normalize casual drop-ins by being the first to do it (bring coffee to a neighbor)
• Create regular rhythms like “Sunday Soup” where people know your door is always open (Check out Kathi Lipp’s book Sabbath Soup for help with this one. It’s a great book!)

3. Transform Daily Spaces

• Make your front porch or yard an invitation to connect (add seating, spend time there)
• Create a “conversation corner” in your home that’s always ready for guests
• Keep games or activities visible and accessible
• Consider how your space could serve your neighborhood (A book lending shelf? A water bowl for dogs?)

4. Practice “Hospitality Outside Our Walls”

• Take your lunch break with coworkers instead of at your desk
• Walk your neighborhood at consistent times, ready to chat
• Create mobile hospitality (thermoses of coffee for school pickup line)
• Be the person who initiates conversations in waiting rooms or checkout lines
• At church talk to people, ask if it’s their first time, and make an effort to get to know new people
• Introduce guests at church to other people to help them connect
• Sit with newcomers at any meeting you attend

5. Embrace “Inconvenient” Hospitality

• Intentionally invite people during life’s messy moments (while painting a room, folding laundry)
• Welcome children into your space even if it means chaos
• Share meals during difficult seasons (new baby, illness, moving)
• Be willing to adjust your schedule for relationship opportunities

6. Digital Resistance Strategies

• When someone texts about a problem, respond with “Want to come over and talk about it?”
• Instead of commenting on social media posts, invite people to continue the conversation in person
• Use technology to facilitate real gatherings, not replace them
• Create phone-free zones during gatherings to encourage genuine connection

7. Build Hospitality Partnerships

• Connect with others who share your vision for hospitality, discipleship, and community connection
• Create a meal train system in your community
• Share resources (extra chairs, large coffee pots, etc.)
• Take turns hosting to make it sustainable

8. Practice Cross-Cultural Hospitality

• Learn greetings in neighbors’ native languages
• Ask about and honor different cultural traditions
• Share cultural celebrations and invite others to participate
• Be willing to be uncomfortable and learn from others
• Invite international students to your home especially for holidays and talk about the celebration over a meal
• Attend cultural celebrations in your community such as Tet (Lunar New Year)

Practical Starting Point for 2025: Choose just one of these practices and commit to it for three months. For example:

• Every Monday is soup night, and you’ll always make enough to share
• The first Sunday of each month is an open house afternoon
• You’ll invite one person per week to join your family’s regular dinner
• You’ll create a weekly “coffee and homework” time where neighborhood kids can drop in

In Taiwan, Friday nights were hotpot night at our house during the winter months. We had people show up most Fridays without having to invite them. It was just a standing invitation.

Now, we plan 1-2 Sundays each month for people to come over for lunch. Sometimes we meet at a restaurant, or we order in, but it’s a great time for fellowship.

Remember: The goal isn’t to add stress or create perfect experiences, but to resist isolation by intentionally creating space for real connection. We can start small, be consistent, and watch how these simple acts of resistance begin to transform our communities.