"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2)

A friend of mine sent the following story to me. I'm sorry that I don't have the name of the one who wrote it. I will continue trying to locate a name to place under the words. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I first read it. Though it wasn't titled (or if it was, the title didn't accompany the text) if I were to give it a title, I would call it something like, "A Pocket of Hope in a Week of Terror." Here is the story:

If you wondered about all those flights that were in the middle of the great blue Atlantic Ocean on the morning of September 11th here is an up-close-and-personal story written by a Delta Airlines flight attendant enroute from Frankfurt to Atlanta.

This was the first accounting that I had read of one of the diverted flights to Canada. I found it both compelling and inspiring. And the question the writer poses at the end is a good one: "Why not?" We were about 5 hours out of Frankfurt flying over the North Atlantic and I was in my crew rest seat taking my scheduled rest break. All of a sudden the curtains parted violently and I was told to go to the cockpit, right now, to see the captain. As soon as I got there I noticed that the crew had one of those "All Business" looks on their faces. The captain handed me a printed message. I quickly read the message and realized the importance of it. The message was from Atlanta, addressed to our flight, and simply said, "All airways over the Continental US are closed. Land ASAP at the nearest airport, advise your destination."

Now, when a dispatcher tells you to land immediately without suggesting which airport, one can assume that the dispatcher has reluctantly given up control of the flight to the captain. We knew it was a serious situation and we needed to find terra firma quickly. It was quickly decided that the nearest airport was 400 miles away, behind our right shoulder, in Gander, on the island of Newfoundland. A quick request was made to the Canadian traffic controller and a right turn, directly to Gander, was approved immediately. We found out later why there was no hesitation by the Canadian controller approving our request. We, the in-flight crew, were told to get the airplane ready for an immediate landing. While this was going on another message arrived from Atlanta telling us about some terrorist activity in the New York area.

We briefed the in-flight crew about going to Gander and we went about our business ‘closing down’ the airplane for a landing. A few minutes later I went back to the cockpit to find out that some airplanes had been hijacked and were being flown into buildings all over the US. We decided to make an announcement and lie to the passengers for the time being.

We told them that an instrument problem had arisen on the airplane and that we needed to land at Gander, to have it checked. We promised to give more information after landing in Gander. There were many unhappy passengers but that is par for the course.

We landed in Gander about 40 minutes after the start of this episode. There were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from all over the world. After we parked on the ramp the captain made the following announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if all these airplanes around us have the same instrument problem as we have. But the reality is that we are here for a good reason."

Then he went on to explain the little bit we knew about the situation in the US. There were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. Local time at Gander was 12:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. EST) Gander control told us to stay put. No one was allowed to get off the aircraft. No one on the ground was allowed to come near the aircraft. Only a car from the airport police would come around once in a while, look us over and go on to the next airplane. In the next hour or so all the airways over the North Atlantic were vacated and Gander alone ended up with 53 airplanes from all over the world, out of which 27 were flying US flags. We were told that each and every plane was to be offloaded, one at a time, with the foreign carriers given the priority. We were number 14 in the US category. We were further told that we would be given a tentative time to deplane at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile bits of news started to come in over the aircraft radio and for the first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon in DC. People were trying to use their cell phones but were unable to connect due to a different cell system in Canada. Some did get through but were only able to get to the Canadian operator who would tell them that the lines to the US were either blocked or jammed and to try again. Some time late in the evening the news filtered to us that the World Trade Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking had resulted in a crash.

Now the passengers were totally bewildered and emotionally exhausted but stayed calm as we kept reminding them to look around to see that we were not the only ones in this predicament. There were 52 other planes with people on them in the same situation. We also told them that the Canadian Government was in charge and we were at their mercy. True to their word, at 6 p.m., Gander airport told us that our turn to deplane would come at 11 a.m., the next morning. That took the last wind out of the passengers and they simply resigned and accepted this news without much noise and really started to get into a mode of spending the night on the airplane.

Gander had promised us any and all medical attention if needed: medicine, water, and lavatory servicing. And they were true to their word. Fortunately we had no medical situation during the night. We did have a young lady who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took really good care of her. The night passed without any further complications on our airplane despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. About 10:30 on the morning of the 12^th we were told to get ready to leave the aircraft.

A convoy of school buses showed up at the side of the airplane, the stairway was hooked up and the passengers were taken to the terminal for "processing". We, the crew, were taken to the same terminal but were told to go to a different section, where we were processed through Immigration and customs and then had to register with the Red Cross.

After that we were isolated from our passengers and were taken in a caravan of vans to a very small hotel in the town of Gander. We had no idea where our passengers were going.

The town of Gander has a population of 10,400 people. Red Cross told us that they were going to process about 10,500 passengers from all the airplanes that were forced into Gander. We were told to just relax at the hotel and wait for a call to go back to the airport, but not to expect that call for a while. We found out the total scope of the terror back home only after getting to our hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all started. Meanwhile we enjoyed ourselves going around town discovering things and enjoying the hospitality. The people were so friendly and they just knew that we were the "Plane People". We all had a great time until we got that call, 2 days later, on the 14^th at 7 a.m. We made it to the airport by 8:30 a.m. and left for Atlanta at 12:30 p.m. arriving in Atlanta at about 4:30 p.m. (Gander is 1 hour and 30 minutes ahead of EST, yes!, 1 hour and 30 minutes.)

But that’s not what I wanted to tell you. What passengers told us was so uplifting and incredible and the timing couldn’t have been better. We found out that Gander and the surrounding small communities, within a 75 Kilometer radius, had closed all the high schools, meeting halls, lodges, and any other large gathering places. They converted all these facilities to a mass lodging area. Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up. All the high school students had to volunteer taking care of the "guests".

Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called Lewisporte, about 45 Kilometers from Gander. There they were put in a high school. If any women wanted to be in a women-only facility, that was arranged. Families were kept together. All the elderly passengers were given no choice and were taken to private homes. Remember that young pregnant lady? She was put up in a private home right across the street from a 24 hour Urgent Care type facility. There were DDS on call and they had both male and female nurses available and stayed with the crowd for the duration. Phone calls and emails to US and Europe were available for everyone once a day.

During the days the passengers were given a choice of "Excursion" trips. Some people went on boat cruises of the lakes and harbors. Some went to see the local forests. Local bakeries stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests. Food was prepared by all the residents and brought to the school for those who elected to stay put. Others were driven to the eatery of their choice and fed. They were given tokens to go to the local Laundromat to wash their clothes, since their luggage was still on the aircraft. In other words every single need was met for those unfortunate travelers. Passengers were crying while telling us these stories. After all that, they were delivered to the airport right on time and without a single one missing or late.

All because the local Red Cross had all the information about the goings on back at Gander and knew which group needed to leave for the airport at what time. Absolutely incredible!

When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise. Everybody knew everybody else by their name. They were swapping stories of their stay, impressing each other with who had the better time. It was mind-boggling! Our flight back to Atlanta looked like a party flight. We simply stayed out of their way. The passengers had totally bonded and they were calling each other by their first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses.

And then a strange thing happened. One of our business class passengers approached me and asked if he could speak over the PA to his fellow passengers. We never, never, allow that. But something told me to get out of his way. I said "of course". The gentleman picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what they had just gone through in the last few days. He reminded them of the hospitality they had received at the hands of total strangers. He further stated that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of the town of Lewisporte. He said he was going to set up a Trust Fund under the name of DELTA 15 (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide a scholarship for high school student(s) of Lewisporte to help them go to college. He asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travelers.

When the paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone numbers and addresses, it totaled to $14,500 or about $20,000 Canadian. The gentleman who started all this turned out to be an MD from Virginia. He promised to match the donations and to start the administrative work on the scholarship. He also said that he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them to donate as well.

Why, all of this? Just because some people in far away places were kind to some strangers, who happened to literally drop in among them? Why not? I think I would like to visit Lewisporte!

(Author Unknown)

What a beautiful picture of hospitality!

My curiosity about this event took me to the Newfoundland.com website this afternoon where I found a guestbook. The Webmaster had invited people to comment on the attack on America. Here is one of many of the posts listed there:

To the people of Newfoundland and especially of St. John's:

Back in America, we would like to thank you all for the great welcome and the excellent organization during our stay in your province after the tragic event in New York and Washington.
We will never forget the warmth and sympathy expressed by all of you during our days in Canada. Thank you very much from the bottom of our heart.

Evelyne and Bert Visser

Passengers of flight US 189

 

I haven't often spoken about hospitality, but it is a very Biblical concept. In the time we have remaining I would like to read a few passages where it is mentioned and comment briefly. Then we'll go home.

Hospitality is the practice of entertaining strangers graciously. It was very important in Bible times. It is still important today. In the New Testament, the Greek word translated hospitality is philonexia. It means literally, "love of strangers." You might recall in the Old Testament, Abraham was the host to angels unaware; he invited three strangers into his house, washed their feet, prepared fresh food, had Sarah bake bread, and later accompanied them as they left.(1)   Even today a traditional greeting to the guests among the Bedouin people of the Middle East is "You are among your family."

Later, the Law of Moses laid it down for Israel in Leviticus 19:33-34: "When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." Israel knew the value of hospitality because they had been strangers in a foreign land for over 400 years.

Jesus brought the concept of hospitality over into the teaching of the New Testament. In Luke 14:12-14: "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

The Apostles of Jesus echoed this same teaching. In Romans 12, after telling Christians to "be devoted to one another in brotherly love," Paul said that they should be "practicing hospitality." (2)

Peter's words were similar in 1 Peter 4:8-9: "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint."

Both of the New Testament passages that give qualifications for elders in the church say that such men must be hospitable. (3)

You might remember in that picture of the Great Judgment in Matthew 25 that Jesus characterized the righteous, the "sheep," as "I was a stranger and you invited me in." (4)

There are some beautiful examples of hospitality in the Bible. I have already mentioned Abraham's hospitality to strangers which turned out to be angels. The entire story is in Genesis 18:1-8.

Then there is David's hospitality to all of the citizens of Jerusalem. When he brought the Ark of the Covenant into the city, he distributed three cakes, one of bread, one of dates, and one of raisins, to every person in the vicinity. (5)

There is the hospitality of the Shunammite woman who took care of Elisha in 2 Kings 4:8-10. She and her husband fed him and his servant, Gehazi, whenever they were in the area and ultimately fixed a little room in their dwelling for him complete with a bed, table, chair, and a lamp stand.

Job's hospitality to strangers is mentioned in Job 31:17-20.

The hospitality of Mary and Martha to Jesus in Bethany is well known to all readers of the New Testament. You can read about it again in Matthew 26:6-13 and Luke 10:38.

Hospitality characterized the earliest description of the church. With many Jews crammed into the city of Jerusalem during Pentecost in 33 A.D., after the preaching of Peter in which thousands were converted and many stayed on to learn more, the local resident Christians opened their homes and, as the text says in Acts 2:45, "they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need."

We see the example of Lydia in Acts 16:14-15, a woman who opened her home to Paul and his traveling companions as they were preaching in Philippi.

In fact, the early Christians were so hospitable that apparently, a few of the unscrupulous among them began to take undue advantage of their graciousness. They quit their jobs and apparently just went from house to house, acting like busybodies, mooching off their brethren. Paul put a stern stop to it in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13. Among the other things he said there were these words: "Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread." We are not to abuse the hospitality of our brethren.

Proverbs also warns believers about taking undue advantage of the hospitality of others. We read in Proverbs 25:17: "Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor's house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you." This shouldn't be taken as a prohibition against visiting neighbors, but let it be their invitation which brings you and be sensitive to when it is time to go. I can't think of a better example of this in action than in Genesis 19:1-4 when the two angels came into Sodom and Lot met them. I'll read just an excerpt from that passage: "When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. And he said, 'Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.' They said however, 'No, but we shall spend the night in the square.' Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate."

Hospitality is not entitlement. It is rather something that is graciously given.

So where does all this fit you and me? Here are three quick things to consider:

	Let us remember to be sensitive to the needs of those who are strangers and displaced among us. This may be as big and complicated a project as putting up 10,500 "drop in" airplane passengers or as simple as befriending a "back of the class" student at school. God reminded Israel of their stay in Egypt and how it felt to be alone. That is a lesson for us, too.
	We should be willing to open our homes in hospitality when a genuine need appears. Traveling missionaries, guest speakers, stranded motorists, I'm sure the list could be long if we thought it through. If we don't have the means in our homes, or there is perceivable risk to our families, perhaps we could contribute to their needs in other settings and other ways.
	Finally, let us remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-40

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'"

Footnotes: (Use your "back" button to return to your place.)

1. Genesis 18:1-15
2. Romans 12:13
3. Titus 1:7-8; 1 timothy 3:2
4. Matthew 25:35
5. 2 Samuel 6:19