I had to learn the balance between hospitality and boundaries - Jesus had it down

Tori Wells operated a "come one, come all" attitude towards hosting, until a friend challenged her to put some boundaries in place.

I’ve been a long standing advocate of the open-door policy. If I sense even a murmur of someone else’s aloneness I am quick to check my diary and share all upcoming invites. I’m a cheerleader of showing a "welcome" with one more seat available at the table. Two gate crashers recently tested my catering capacity – and seating options – around the table with 24hrs to go and a new dietary request thrown in, but from years of striding the corridors as a secondary special needs teacher, I couldn’t wish for a more harmonious culture than that of inclusion for all.

Yet, I was challenged recently by a non-Christian that my "filtering system" of people is scarcely adequate for healthy living and I had to give it some thought. She said that too often I had let the stranger into the private, cultivated spaces of my life without giving pause to consider if they will respect it. This battles against my belief that, as Christians, we are called to radical hospitality, and it didn't seem to align with the God of Psalm 8, who is intentional and mindful to care for his people.