Hawaii & Hospitality – What A Great Combo!
The lush, green grounds of St. Anthony’s Retreat Center in Oahu, Hawaii, are beautiful! The land was given to the Catholic Church by an Hawaiian queen and initially was used to house abandoned children. Many of the statues—such as this one—include a child.
One of my core values is to be a lifelong learner. I love information of all sorts, but when I am privileged to experience learning that strengthens my faith, I often feel like I’m experiencing a little bit of “heaven on earth!”
Such was the case when I attended a spiritual direction retreat in Hawaii recently. The retreat was special in many ways. I not only had the privilege of presenting at one of the sessions, but on the final day, I officially graduated from the Sherpa-Guidance for the Spiritual Climb, spiritual direction training. The opportunity to complete the rigorous and rewarding program was one this granny from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, would have never imagined possible.
My fellow graduate, Julie, a lovely woman who directs the Spiritual Formation program at a Christian college in Texas, and I pose with our program director, Dr. Deborah Gill, brilliant Bible scholar who resides with her great husband, Jan, in Atlanta, Georgia. My lei, which included jasmine and roses, left a fragrant trail wherever I went.
The primary presenter at the retreat was Dr. Helen Kim Nowalk who serves as a pastor at New Life Church in the Burrough of Queens, New York. Helen’s topic was Hospitality: Becoming Human Through Presence. She drew heavily from the work of neuroscience and neurotheology, topics that fascinate me.
In the first session, Helen explained the meaning of the Greek word for Hospitality, Philoxenia, which when broken down is philos: friendship; and xenos: stranger, or “love of the stranger.” When the Bible urges hospitality, the connotation is far more significant than hosting a nice luncheon or dinner for friends and family!
Making Helen’s teaching even richer is that in the truest, biblical sense of the word, I experienced first-hand philoxenia while in Hawaii.
First of all, Ee Ling, a Sherpa colleague I barely knew, graciously picked me up at the airport and gave a great tour of the Island. Her husband, Brian, served our group in so many different ways, including a trip to a local ice cream shop where we had the most amazing coconut ice cream. (Normally, I am not a big lover of ice cream, but not a single drop of that creamy deliciousness went to waste!)
Hosts with the most—Ee Ling and Brian making the shaka sign, which in Hawaiian expresses hospitable messages, such as “Hang loose,” “Right on,” “Things are great,” or “Thank you.”
Knowing I desired the opportunity to walk along the beach, Ee Ling reached out to friends who live 100 steps from the ocean. Heath, Christine, and their handsome Boxer dog, Clutch, welcomed this complete xenos into their cozy beach home.
To enhance the retreat learning even more, Heath and Christine’s next-door neighbors, Rudy and Celeste, invited me, a xenos, to join them for an incredible dinner—a veritable feast of perfectly smoked brisket with every delicious—albeit high-calorie—side dish imaginable. Everyone welcomed me warmly, many with big hugs.
A trip to Hawaii after a long North Idaho winter is a blessing all by itself. When that trip is combined with inspirational learning and the experience of rich philoxenia, it becomes a memory to last a lifetime.
Mahalo to all who extended such gracious philos to this xenos in their beautiful Aloha state of Hawaii.
And thank you, reader friends, who allowed me to share these remembrances. (Oh, by the way, despite all the delicious food I enjoyed in Hawaii, I didn’t gain even one pound!! Perhaps a side benefit of philoxenia?? 😊)
Blessings on your journey!
