Heartbeat

(Genesis 18)

Picture Abraham under the Oaks of Mamre,

slipping in and out of the consciousness

of an after-lunch nap, enjoying

the blessed shade of the trees

and security of his tent.

The visitors startle, but

do not frighten him.

His reaction, shaped by more than

twenty years as a sojourner,

is one of reverence – maybe even worship.

His urgency and generosity

are driven by his guests’ need,

not by concern for their opinion of him.

Well aware of the distance between

his own well and the next, he realizes

the life-giving nature of the water he offers.

There is no debate, no calculation of deserving;

only the recognition of a basic need.

Does he know the identity of his guests?

Would this impact the bounds of hospitality?

Shape-shifter that he’s always been,

he might have figured it out by now.

Whether he understands it or not,

hospitality is a lot like exercise.

We may begin it because we know

it’s the thing we’re supposed to do,

but in the end, offering clean, cool water

to a sister and brother in need,

fundamentally and forever

changes the way our hearts beat.

Photo by Todd Jenkins

© 2013 Todd Jenkins