So what does hospitality look like in the twenty-first century? Will I know it when I see it? Is it still an obligation or just a nice option? Not everything that calls itself hospitalty would pass the test with Benedict or Paul. Ruthless business is often conducted over carefully prepared and elegantly served meals; shallow and impersonal cordiality is epitomized by the "hospitality suite" that has become a ubiquitous part of any conference or convention. There is a careful balancing of indebtedness, not just for food and drink but for favors granted and received — Is it my turn to pick up the tab or yours? God forbid that you should pay for my modest lunch two times in succession. To be sure, there are the obvious acts of hospitality, the easy, effortless ones.

Margaret Guenther, At Home in the World