Hospitality: CJ Robbins
Winter storm Fern trapped the South indoors; snow and ice are not something we are prepared for down here. When I was stuck alone in my house, I was amazed by the community still being shared.
I am fortunate enough to be on a small street where all the houses nearby are rented by other people at the ACF. These are my friends, some of my best friends actually. The hospitality shown during this time was incredible. For example, two students who lived on campus were invited, long before the storm, to stay in Adam and Austin’s house so that they wouldn’t have to be stuck in their dorms alone. When morning prayer normally happened at the ACF, prayer was hosted in somebody’s living room. People went exploring in the icescape, inviting each other along. Spontaneous snowball fights erupted. Board games were played. I particularly enjoyed it when a friend came over to play guitar. Some people even walked from campus just to come and hangout for the day. In this time of loneliness, the community rose up to the challenge. I am lucky; this is not something everyone gets to experience with their neighbors.
In many situations you can have a great community, but if you’re snowed in a 20-minute drive away and you can’t drive, then it feels like a moot point. But to that, I give you the two students staying at Adam and Austin’s house. That was planned hospitality. I give you the walking miles to visit each other, the simple calls and texts to check up when we couldn’t see each other. That is unrelenting care.
The intentional act of taking care of people in need is hospitality at its finest. That is just another aspect of community that the ACF has taught me through this experience. It makes me think of a passage that I’ve heard repeated recently, Matthew 25:35-40.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
God has been calling me to follow this more closely. And I don’t even have to go anywhere to find the people that need to be welcomed, fed, or visited. They don’t have to be a stranger, starving, or sick in the strictest sense of the word. They can just be someone I should get to know better, someone I can provide one meal for, or someone sick with loneliness that needs to be visited. The point of this passage to me is to be hospitable in the way Adam and Austin were with these students. They anticipated a need, and then happily welcomed them in. They provided a place to sleep and food to eat. But the most important aspect of these two students being in that house was that they were also invited into what could have been just an exclusive club of ACF people on that street. While we enjoyed the time with each other, we didn’t want to keep it to ourselves. We were excited to make sure others got to experience this community. And I just hope we keep that much excitement to share even as we are back in the normal routine.
CJ Robbins is a senior at LA Tech majoring in Biomedical Engineering and works as an EMT in Monroe. Since becoming a member of ACF, CJ has blessed this community with his easygoing presence, willingness to serve, and passion for the Word of God. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with people at ACF, playing ping pong, going to the gym, and spending time outdoors. He is also a member of this year’s Discipleship Team. We’re so grateful for him and look forward to seeing how God will continue to work in his life!