Radical hospitality, in the words of St. Benedict, is “to invite all people into your house as if they were Christ.” Christian hospitality is the active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ. I’ve always considered the Tres Dias Fourth Day Community to be hospitable and welcoming. Per- haps that comes from the tradition of clapping when folks introduce themselves “Tres Dias-style.” Perhaps because we “pass the peace” after our services. Perhaps it’s because it’s been my experience that folks within the community were welcoming to me. I’m not sure. But something happened during the August Secuela that has caused me to pause. In August, a group from Hopelight Community Church presented the music for Secuela. Of the 6 in the group, only one had not had a three-day weekend experience. Later in the week when asked if she enjoyed the service, she said that she did enjoy the liturgical aspects of the service and the wit- ness talk, but that no one spoke to her before or after the service. No one included her or her husband in the passing of the peace. It’s now possible that this couple who have been previously invited to Tres Dias will hesitate to attend after their experience. That makes me sad. In the New Testament, the Greek work translated “hospitality” literally means “love of strangers.” For someone to feel welcome within our community, he/she needs to make a connection and build a relationship … sound familiar? (“Make a friend, be a friend, bring Christ to your friend.”) Sometimes this means we have to move out of our comfort zone and shake a hand – introduce yourself – make the newcomer feel welcome. Offer the utmost of yourself to offer the gracious invitation and recep- tion of Christ to others. People are searching for places that make them feel welcome and loved, needed and accepted. As the song says, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” Let’s be a community that is known for our radical hospitality! By radical, I mean let’s go above and beyond to show folks that we wel- come them. When we practice hospitality, we have the opportunity to touch lives in an intimate, personal way. Be bold! Be radical! Article is taken from the Fall 2017 Tri-State Tres Dias newsletter.