The true test of hospitality comes when another’s comfort rises at our expense and the exchange is unseen. There is value in welcoming a friend, there is honor suffering for another. But to lose in secret for another’s gain, then we flourish.

When will we beg at midnight?

When should wisdom unlock the door?

When does justice collect its memories?

When mercy is more.

When hospitality swims shallow, we see merriment.

When hospitality runs deep, we feel loss.

When hospitality is invisible, there is love.

When mercy is more.

Oh, the intangible brilliance of veiled charity.

libations of kindness without leverage.

When mercy is more…

Then we know who hospitality is for.

-B.Oaks