Radical: “out of the ordinary,” “revolutionary”, favoring extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions, or institutions. Hospitality: generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests. Put them together and you are part of a movement that began a few years back but is still every bit of who we are as a community.
What does it mean for us to have someone we have never met and has no relationship to us – in other words, a stranger – being treated by every single one of us at Beatitudes Campus with not just politeness, but overwhelming “revolutionary” generosity? It is radical!
Back when I served a church, I had a relationship with a Samoan United Church of Christ Congregation where I was invited to preach. I did not realize at the time that, in their culture, the minister was considered the descendent of what once was the Chief of all of Samoa. Consequently, ministers are treated like royalty today. That was a new experience for me to be sure. I am not saying I have been mistreated as a clergyperson – except for some hate mail now and then from some justice issues I stood for. Being treated like royalty, though, was not an experience I was accustomed to in the American church. But at this church I was showered with a plate of food so big that it was a weeks’ worth in one sitting. (After a stomach ache later, I learned that it is permissible to take some home.) I was given gift after gift including every member and child giving dollar bills or more to me as I was seated in front of them – and not just once but numerous times by each. It was an experience that I will never forget and a people I will always cherish.
What was amazing to me was how authentic and heartfelt it was; it was their culture but it was also them. There was such a deep feeling of sincerity in their gestures that it moved me deeply. It was the most radical of all hospitality experiences I have ever happened upon.
I want you to feel that way here at Beatitudes Campus. I want to feel that way. I want all staff to feel that same way when they are around you and me. I want every guest, volunteer, visitor, prospective resident, family member or stranger to have a radical hospitality experience. There is not a person in the community, from any faith, any race, any sexual orientation, any gender who is not worthy of our most radical of all welcomes. It is how everybody deserves to feel when they walk into our Beatitudes Community. It is a spiritual experience when it happens, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to make sure it does here (ok, minus the money—no tipping policy, you know).
David recently came across a campus guest that had accidentally driven in to the Central Park Mall sidewalk in an attempt to park really close to Elaine’s for an event. He courteously stopped her and graciously offered to jump in the back seat of her car to direct her back through the campus to a safe place to park. This was an excellent example of going above and beyond for guest that was probably very flustered! Nice work, David!