Title: The Gospel Comes with a House Key
Author: Rosaria Butterfield
Major Themes: Hospitality, Gospel, Christian Living
Synopsis: A practical guide to help you use hospitality as a tool to share the gospel.
Rosaria Butterfield is a name I’ve heard fairly frequently, but I never took the time to read one of her books until a few months ago. As someone who grew up in a family that strives to practice hospitality, I thought it might be interesting to gain a gospel-oriented perspective on the topic, so I picked up The Gospel Comes with a House Key. It ended up being a fascinating, challenging read—I came away with a lot to digest after finishing it!
Publisher’s description:
What did God use to draw a radical, committed unbeliever to himself? Did God take her to an evangelistic rally? Or, since she had her doctorate in literature, did he use something in print? No, God used an invitation to dinner in a modest home, from a humble couple who lived out the gospel daily, simply, and authentically.
With this story of her conversion as a backdrop, Rosaria Butterfield invites us into her home to show us how God can use this same “radical, ordinary hospitality” to bring the gospel to our lost friends and neighbors. Such hospitality sees our homes as not our own, but as God’s tools for the furtherance of his kingdom as we welcome those who look, think, believe, and act differently from us into our everyday, sometimes messy lives―helping them see what true Christian faith really looks like.
My thoughts:
I found this book a lot more confronting than I expected, but in a good way. Generally speaking, I love having company, but what do you do when you don’t get along well with the people you invite into your home? According to Rosaria, that’s the perfect chance to practice Christ-likeness and die to self to serve the other person. I agree…but it’s hard to actually follow up on!
I didn’t necessarily agree with everything Rosaria promotes; in my opinion, there needs to be a balance between having open-handed hospitality and protecting family time. I don’t know how this works out in her family, but because she describes always having their doors open for whoever comes, I do wonder how they manage to have time together just as a family to build each other up. As the oldest of a large family, I know how hard it can be to get everyone under the same roof for a meal, and if we aren’t intentional about spending time together, our closest relationships won’t be nearly as strong as they ought to be. In some ways, it’s easy to have an outward focus, trying to reach out to and support everyone we meet, and forget that we need quality time as a family, too.
The Gospel Comes with a House Key was strengthening and encouraging, and definitely gave me food for thought moving forward. I loved Rosaria’s simple and uncomplicated hospitality—perhaps my inherited “must-dos” from my grandmother might not really apply after all! I find that thought freeing. If you’re wanting to grow in being more hospitable, or simply enjoy reading about how other Christians live out their lives and try to fulfill the Great Commission, I’d highly recommend you check out this book.
No warnings!
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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