Neighboring 101 - Session 58: Hospitality Matters
Dave Collier of Hospitality Matters and author of the book "Of Roots and Branches," was scheduled to be with us, but in his absence, we sought the advice of attendees this month. What is hospitality? How have you practiced it? How have you experienced it? Why does it matter?
And a few meaningful quotes in our attempt to define hospitality.
Websters Dictionary: Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.
Hospitality Matters book’s definition: A posture of living, in which one engages another, for the purpose of drawing them out of place of loneliness, to a place of connection and safety so that they know they have something to offer.
“Hospitality means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.” - Henri Nouwen
"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has -- or ever will have -- something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression." - Mister Fred Rogers
"The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when someone asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer." - Henry David Thoreau
"An inhospitable space is one where people feel invisible or visible but on trial. A hospitable space is alive with trust and goodwill rotted in a sense of our common humanity." - Parker Palmer
"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." - Hebrews 13:1-2 NIV
Learn more about Hospitality 101 at HTTP://extension.missouri.edu or HTTP://engagedneighbor.com