Good Hosts

Share

Over the weekend, I attended my first ever adults only Christmas party. The other thing about this party is that everyone was supposed to be single, not that you're not with anyone but that you're not married. It turned out to be mostly interesting as an example of good and bad hosts.

I arrived two minutes early and knocked on the door. It has never been my disposition to invite myself into homes where I do not belong. The fellow who invited me came down the stairs and greeted me, but it was at that point I learned that he didn't actually live in the house. Over the course of the evening, I never spoke with any of the three ladies who actually lived in the house despite the fact that they looked at me, interrupted conversations I was having with other attendees, and were people who had seen me before.

By and large, this was a GOBNet party. With rare exception, everyone there knew everyone else. Many of those who knew me knew of me; some of them had previous dealings. It served to hammer home just how little I fit in as one of the boys.

Beyond that, this wasn't consistent with the principles by which the attendees allegedly live. I only recognized songs that were covers of Christmas music I knew, and some of the music by its tempo and beat was inconsistent with the dogma of the Faith the attendees profess.

Conversations were a mixed bag. Most of the guys I met were nice and actually conversed with me and acknowledged me afterwards at least with a nod. By contrast, most of the girls did not ask any questions or seem like they wanted to be in any kind of conversation whatsoever. As I said, although I had met two of the hostesses before through a religion class about a year ago, none of them ever greeted me, welcomed me, or engaged me in conversation although they did steal my conversation partner on several occassions for pictures or asinine exchanges.

Despite this, I am likely the only attendee who didn't enjoy himself. I took the opportunity after about two hours to slip out and drive home. Honestly, I would rather discuss Organic Chemistry or read about the Colonization of America than go to that kind of party. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, thought as a child and played as a child, but when I became a man I put away childish things. Christ taught us to be child-like, not childish, and yet those in attendance who acted like people from whom 20 years might be subtracted from their ages are likely to be those considered fun, trendy, worth knowing, successful, etc., and mate, marry and multiply.

This was not my house. It was not my duty to introduce myself. It was not my duty to make myself feel welcome or to welcome other people. Many of the people there were people I had never met and probably won't see again, particularly since I probably won't attend any more of that type of soiree. This was their house, and these girls failed miserably as hosts.

I wonder what the people there may one day become. I wonder if there were any angels in attendance. Christ warned us during His carnation of those who see the hungry, the naked, the imprisoned, and the friendless who ignore them. We like to tell ourselves that if He came to visit us we'd be excellent hosts. Then we treat strangers meanly and ignore them, which shows just how much Christ is a stranger to us.

I find it odd that at Christmas when we're supposedly looking out for the other guy that some folks go overlooked and overshadowed. I know I was not the only person there left out. Malachi, a young fellow in a wheelchair, looked like he envied me as I slipped out the door. I spent most of my time talking to him, and although others at least acknowledged him, mostly they were elsewhere. So much for putting Christ into Christmas. Too often we draw near to Him with our lips while our hearts are far from Him. I know if we visited Him, He would be a good host.