It does little good to have a wide open front door, but a heart that is closed off. If your door is open to new people, but your heart is shut tight, that’s not hospitality–it’s toleration. And they’ll pick up on it. You are permitting someone to be in your space, but you don’t really want them in your space.
Hospitality is warm and welcoming; toleration is cool and aloof. Hospitality is eager for the possibility of new relationship; toleration is fine just the way things are, thank you very much. Hospitality is genuinely conversational; toleration is superficial. Hospitality says, “I’m glad that you’re here;” toleration says, “Sure, you can be here I suppose.” Hospitality is generous and sharing; toleration is covetous and tight-fisted. Hospitality says, “We’ll happily try something different for your sake;” toleration says, “We’ll just keep doing things our way, and if you don’t like it you can go elsewhere.”
Hospitality flows from the fiery heart of the Father; toleration flows from the rock-hard heart of the devil.
