Beds, Breakfasts and Blessings

In the time it takes you to read this sentence, 20 people will have checked into an Airbnb somewhere in the world. That’s about two million Airbnb bookings every night, or the equivalent to the entire population of Greater Vancouver housed in an assortment of spare bedrooms, basement suites, tiny houses, historic castles and tent trailers every single night. There are 130,000 Airbnb hosts in Canada alone. Since launching in 2008, Airbnb has booked over 500 million stays and revolutionized the way we travel.

But is the concept behind Airbnb all that new? After all, the Bible is full of instances of strangers finding hospitality in each other’s homes. Moses sought shelter in Midian, Elijah crashed for a while in Zarephath, Rahab made room for a couple of spies and Sisera certainly didn’t check the reviews on Jael’s tent. While there are (hopefully) fewer wars, famines and invasions in our travel itineraries today, perhaps the human impulse to offer hospitality to those on the road hasn’t changed. Jesus says in Matthew 25 that the faithful will hear God say, “I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Is Jesus talking about a certain kind of altruistic hospitality? Or could sites like Airbnb be a tool for Christians to live out God’s call to bless strangers?

The Gift of Space
Airbnb host Jackie Brinkman of Bowmanville, Ontario tells Christian Courier that she’s noticed a number of young, single women booking her place and assumes it’s because they see from her profile that “this is an older woman; it must be safe.” Many of her guests are also short-term workers looking for a place that is more homey and peaceful than a motel.

Brinkman loves the flexibility that Airbnb offers. She can reserve the space for her grandchildren when they visit, for wedding parties looking to cut down on costs, or for people transitioning between homes.

“I had a friend come to me just two weeks ago and say ‘Jackie I’m desperate. I need a place to stay. Would you consider renting your Airbnb to me for three months?’” Brinkman was happy to help out. What a blessing! 

A Preference for Privacy
Dina Anderson of Sidney, B.C. has a lower floor studio suite listed on VRBO, a site that functions similarly to Airbnb. Anderson tells Christian Courier that over the past 15 years the Brookhaven B&B suite has brought many blessings and several lifelong friends, but she doesn’t really see a close connection between her hospitality business and her faith.

“I am a Christian,” says Anderson, “but I have never discussed that with any of our guests.” Anderson knows that some B&Bs make a point of getting to know their guests on a deeper level, but she says that role never felt right to her. “I am well aware that our guests have not come to see us, but our beautiful area.” 

Brinkman says she gets a similar vibe from her guests. “Initially when people came, I would greet them at the door,” she says. “I’d walk upstairs. I’d have a little chat with them. Gradually over time I kind of thought ‘why am I doing this? I don’t even think people want this.’” 

Getting the sense that guests are more interested in space than connection makes it difficult to treat Airbnb hosting as a path to ministry. But both Brinkman and Anderson sleep well at night knowing that they are providing exactly what their guests are looking for – peace, safety and a space that feels like home. 

Food for thought
Back in Ontario and just a couple of hours drive east of Brinkman’s Airbnb, Fay Cross welcomes guests at Hardwood Haven B&B in Listowel, Ontario. The gorgeous heritage home is not listed on Airbnb, but Cross says, “I’ve been toying with the idea of going on.” It’s not because her business is struggling, but because she thinks millennials are missing out on the good gifts of conventional bed and breakfasts.

Cross often takes the time to get to know her guests and share a bit about how God worked through illness and heartache to bring Hardwood Haven into their lives. Whether or not her guests share her faith, Cross is intentional about keeping God in her story. Around the breakfast table one morning, a guest gushed: “Now I know why we’re here!”

“It was like they needed to hear our story,” explains Cross, “they were facing some major decisions in their life.” The sentiments were mutual. “It seems like God may have sent them to bless us and encourage us to continue to be faithful,” says Cross.

Cross hopes listing on Airbnb will help bring younger folks to her breakfast table, but she still feels conflicted about joining a platform that facilitates the deregulation of her industry. She and her husband Ty spent an entire year bringing their property up to local business standards. While completing extensive renovations, they installed fire exit signs, added parking space and kept a close eye on building codes.

“I kind of resent that Airbnb people don’t have to do those kinds of things,” explains Cross.

Staying for free
Natasha Vedder of Surrey, B.C. is a millennial who hopes to someday open a B&B, but in the meantime she doesn’t think her generation is lacking opportunities to get to know locals while on the road. Vedder hosts travellers in her home through Couchsurfing. Unlike Airbnb, couch surfing is a free service with a strong ethic of reciprocity.

“You give and take from the community – you don’t have to repay the exact person who helped you out or hosted you, just the community in general.” Most guests offer to make a meal or take Vedder out for dinner as a thank-you. She was delighted to even receive a homemade headband from one guest. But Couchsurfing hosts on principal do not expect anything in return for their hospitality.

“I loved putting on tea for my guests, and sitting in my little living room (which later became their bedroom) and just hearing about their travels, sharing about my life and breaking down walls instead of building them.” Vedder tells Christian Courier. “I liked showing people with little experience of Christianity that Christians are fairly normal, friendly people.”

Vedder knows that Couchsurfing isn’t for everyone. “It’s a certain type of person that is willing to invite a complete stranger into their home and a person who is willing to be that stranger.” But it’s an ideal way to really get to know a region and a culture for travellers who are able to take the time.

In a recent press release, Airbnb says that it’s “using technology to facilitate human connection.” But these Christian hosts tell a different story. Airbnb and similar pay-to-stay online platforms are creating convenience for people who find themselves on the road for work, travel, weddings, funerals and transitions between homes. These people are in search of the blessing of space. When it comes to connection, however, the key ingredient is time. In which case, we may need to take a second look at the old-fashioned B&B and the radical world of Couchsurfing, where the walls come down and the tables fill up.