THE READINGS · II
How we treat someone who can offer us nothing matters. A person who cannot repay kindness still deserves it.
READING A · Old Norse wisdom poetry
Henry Adams Bellows, The Poetic Edda, 1923.
Fire he needs who with frozen knees
Has come from the cold without;
The traveler needs warmth, food, clothing, and a welcome. Attend to the physical needs named in the poem before drawing conclusions about what the host expects in return.
Read Hávamál, stanzas 3–4 in the source edition · new tabREADING B · Christianity
King James Version.
cannot recompense thee
Jesus urges hospitality toward people unable to reciprocate and places that generosity within belief in a future divine reward. The recipient's ability to repay does not determine whom the host should welcome.
Read Luke 14:12–14 in the source edition · new tabWITHIN THE ORDER
The Norse passage names a visitor's needs; Luke challenges hospitality governed by an expected return. Consider how the Order can offer care to someone who cannot contribute.
How do we welcome a man who cannot give anything back?