Hospitality as a remedy for division

If you’re anything like me, you can’t help but be aware of the social and political division that is unfolding in our midst. The recent inauguration in the U.S., as well as the rhetoric within our own Canadian political context has shown that divisions between people are greater than many may have expected. On top of this is the very real struggles of Black, Indigenous, and racialized people within our society, held up alongside of the responses from those who choose to deny the reality of systemic racism, or are blind to their own prejudice, show that there is much work to be done before we are anywhere near, “loving our neighbours as ourselves.” 

Watching the assault on the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6 or simply reading the comments section under any Canadian article that speaks to any of the above-mentioned issues, not to mention seeing the struggles that our LGBTQ2S+ community still face on a daily basis, can make you wonder if the whole idea of neighbourly love, or community unity and love is simply too much to hope for.

As a Christian clergyperson, however, I am not ready to give up on hope just yet. In 2013, I began my studies in the Doctor of Ministry program at Saint Paul University. It was during this time that I was introduced to the field of Monastic Hospitality, or Sacred Hospitality as I would later come to call it. Rooted within the ancient hospitality practices of the early Christians, and formally embraced by the decision of Vatican II, which recommended being good neighbours with Christians from other denominations, as well as members of other religions, Benedictine monks have been living a way of life that can help us learn how to come together as diverse people, with respect for each other, and be mutually transformed through the process. 

While not easy, the Benedictine way of hospitality is simple. In fact, it is based on only four straightforward principles: Rootedness, Invitation, Respect, and Openness. 

While there isn’t enough room to do each one justice right now, the short version is:

Rootedness

Know what you’re talking about and representing. Don’t just know your own experience. Know about the topic. If you represent Anglicans, know what that means in a broad and deep sense. It’s not just about you. 

Invitation

Intentionally invite people who are different than you, especially if they disagree with you on a topic. The only way we expand our knowledge and experience is to expose ourselves to thoughts, ideas, people, and places we haven’t discovered or considered yet. 

Respect

Give up your need to convert the other person to your point of view. Listen to understand, not to respond, correct, or convert. Be curious about them, and how they got there. What is their lived truth? Believe their experiences. They will tell you when they believe you understand. 

Openness

While you give up your need to convert, you must be open to the idea that an encounter with “the other” may convert you, or at least expand your horizons, understanding, and compassion. If the other person is being respectful, it creates a space to be vulnerable, authentic, and open to transformation. 

I recognize that the topic is much more complex than I’ve described, but I do think these four principles are a great place to start. Jesus called us to love our enemies and to love our neighbours. Our baptismal vows call us to seek and serve Christ in ALL persons and respect the dignity of every human being. This is why I haven’t given up hope. Not because of a fancy university course, but because Jesus called us to do it. I may be biased, but I think Jesus knew what he was talking about.

 In some regards I think this concept of hospitality is one of the most important challenges of the church today. It can, and should shape everything from our daily interactions, to how we shape and develop the ministry of the church. As Fr. Raimon Panikkar has stated, “Either we discover again and anew the neighbor in flesh and blood, or we are headed toward a disaster of cosmic proportions…”. We must learn to see “the other” as fellow human beings. Not as labels. We must reconnect through God’s call to love. 

We can love our neighbours. We can end divisions. Jesus worked to bring in the Kingdom of God, and I think this is one way we can help with that work.