How we welcome each other into our space, our lives, our society is more powerful than we know.
We welcome with our eyes.
We welcome with our body language.
We welcome with a touch.
We convey trust and acceptance by the way we treat each other.
It’s all about perspective, really. When you give another person space to receive you and vice versa, to be received, you allow them to understand you and you them.
Put another way, I have my own lens through which I view the world. This lens is crystallized by my own experience. It is my experience. I am comfortable with that.
If I can give a grace-filled welcome to all I encounter, and listen first for a gentle whisper from God, by asking God, “How would you like me to receive this person?”
- In traffic
- In line at the store
- In my car, if stopped by the police
- In my work, with all I encounter
- In my multi-ethnic Bible Study
- In my neighborhood
- In my family and friends circle, with whom we agree and disagree
By being in touch with the Creator, who created the person you are encountering, first, we can truly try to understand each other and welcome each other into a space of love.
“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”
– Abraham Lincoln
