The Synagogue on Your Street - Amy Lively
I just invited 130 neighbors over for coffee. Yikes! My Neighborhood Cafe Open House is tomorrow, so you can bet I’ll be cleaning house today, whispering prayers as I push the mop and dust the furniture.
That’s a lot of people, but my past experience shows that very few of my neighbors will actually come–especially since I stuffed the invitations in mailboxes instead of delivering them in person. It’s cold here in Ohio in January, and it gets dark very early. This time, I just wasn’t able to go door to door; I will do that in the Spring or Fall. My friend and neighbor, Lauren, designed a fabulous neighborhood newsletter that we delivered along with the Open House invitation.
Maybe that’s why this line jumped out at me as I read my Bible this morning…
“I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.”
I looked up the word “invited” from Matthew 25:35 using one of my favorite websites (there’s also an app), www.BlueLetterBible.org. In the original Greek language, the word is synagō, and it’s the root of the word synagogue. It means–
1) to gather together, to gather
a) to draw together, collect
1) of fishes
2) of a net in which they are caught
2) to bring together, assemble, collect
a) to join together, join in one (those previously separated)
b) to gather together by convoking
c) to be gathered i.e. come together, gather, meet
3) to lead with one’s self
a) into one’s home, i.e. to receive hospitably, to entertain
For years, I wanted to obey Christ’s #2 Command to love my neighbors, but it just wasn’t happening. My neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks where people stop to chat, we don’t have a corner cafe, we don’t have a park where kids play (as if my teenager would be at the park anyway). We pretty much keep to ourselves; most of my neighbors were strangers to me. I wanted the women in my neighborhood to miraculously parade into my home like Noah’s animals, but no–it seemed as if I was going to have to initiate something on my own. Double yikes!
So I simply invited them. I drew them together, like fishing for [wo]men. Those who had been previously separated by busy schedules gathered together to meet in the “synagōgē” in my home. I led myself to their front door, raised a trembling hand, and knocked.
Guess what happened? They came!
They brought their own mugs and they came to an Open House, a simple time to meet, greet and treat my neighbors. Some women came back for a Bible Study, others just made my acquaintance. Many became friends.
I have an Open House a couple of times a year now. This time, I’ve changed the day and time so hopefully more women can come. It’s just that easy, and it’s just that hard. Please contact me if you’d like to start a Neighborhood Cafe in your neighborhood. You can do this, I will help you.
