Along the journey towards the greater, there are many small, daily steps to better understand oneself, God, and others. This is one of my “daily steps”.
I am grateful for the kinship of others.⠀
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In college I loved nothing more than when a friend invited me home for Thanksgiving. A Texas girl in South Bend meant I wasn’t always able to fly home for both Fall break and Thanksgiving, and so friends welcomed me into their midwestern homes and into their family traditions. It was always such a treat to dive into their stories and history to get to know them even more in all their complex humanity. ⠀
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It was the kinship I was most #grateful for… that I could be so easily welcomed and taken into someone else’s family celebration.⠀
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As we enter into #thanksgiving week, my thoughts with all those who need a little #kinship this week, a welcome into food and companionship with others, a smile or other small recognition of their humanity. #GregBoyle paints this beautiful picture of what that kind of #kinship could look like in his book #tattoosontheheart:⠀
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“No daylight to separate us.⠀
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Only kinship. Inching ourselves closer to creating a community of kinship such that God might recognize it. Soon we imagine, with God, this circle of compassion. Then we imagine no one standing outside of that circle, moving ourselves closer to the margins so that the margins themselves will be erased.”⠀
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What can kinship look like for you this week? ⠀
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I pray we can each find a moment to let another person know they are seen, loved, and in the circle of God’s compassionate embrace.⠀
