Hospitality is often reduced to home decor and hosting dinner parties, but the radical version is much more challenging. It is the act of making room for those who are different from us, those who disagree with us, and those who have been excluded. It is a spiritual practice of the highest order.
Beyond Tolerance to Welcome
Tolerance is a low bar; it just means we let people exist in the same space. Welcome means we actively want them there and that their presence changes the group for the better. When we open our hearts to new voices, our own understanding of faith begins to expand.
A Community of Belonging
Our goal is to create a space where no one has to hide parts of themselves to fit in. This means being intentional about whose voices are missing and doing the hard work to bring them in. It is uncomfortable, it is messy, and it is exactly what we are called to do.
Practice radical hospitality this week by striking up a conversation with someone you usually overlook. You might find that the very perspective you were missing is standing right in front of you.