"The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

-- Leviticus 19:34

"Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

- Romans 12:13

Stefano and Rina Spina live with their children in a small three-bedroom apartment in Taranto, Italy. One of their bedrooms is the Spinas' master bedroom; another is Stefano's office; and the remaining one is shared by their son Dario, 18, and Giulia, their lively two- year-old daughter. Remarkably, through the years the Spinas have hosted and slept dozens of guests in their apartment - often large groups at one time.

We were their guests a few weeks ago and marveled at how they accommodate all the people God brings them. Rina smiled and explained. "Mine is a magic house," she said. "Whenever guests come, it expands to make room for whoever is here. After they leave it shrinks back down to its normal size."

Miles away in Sicily, the Mililli family lives in the shadow of Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Italy. The parents use one of their apartment's two bedrooms and the children - two daughters, ages 24 and 18, and a son, Fabio, age 13 - share the smaller one. We visited them a few weeks ago and saw that they, too, have a magic house.

Please do not be offended by my use of the word "magic." You know what I mean. The word can mean "enchanting" or "charming," and that is the kind of homes these families have. They have less space than many American Christians, but much they could teach us.

Both families welcomed us warmly and insisted that we sleep in the master bedrooms while they slept elsewhere. Both fed us their best food, made us feel like honored family members, gave us snacks to take with us when we left. And much more.

Hospitality is a skill which grows with practice. "It is not a matter of space," Aldo Mililli said. "It is a matter of will." If the heart is big, everything else expands as needed.

God has a heart for outsiders, and he calls us to care for the people around us.

As disciples of our Lord, we must learn to open our hearts and homes to others.

Our wish for you today is not better homes and gardens. We wish for you magical ones.

Gary and Jennifer Williams
Florence Bible School
Italy