February 2025
This month, we ask ourselves, what does it mean to be a people of inclusion?
February 2: Radical Hospitality
By Rev. Cathy Harrington
Hospitality, by definition, is kindness, friendliness and generosity offered to visitors and strangers. Radical means “drastically different from ordinary.” The Rev. Marilyn Sewell takes definition one step further by calling radical hospitality, revolutionary. She writes, “We are a church, and it is appropriate that we ask ourselves, what is the moral dimension of our hospitality, the moral dimension of our reception of others, of our solidarity with others, who may not look like us or move from the same assumptions or values? I’m not talking about being politically correct, or legalistic—I’m talking about hospitality as spiritual practice. I’m not talking about just opening the doors—I’m talking about opening the heart.”

February 9: Belonging
By Charlene Montgomery
With so much going on in our country and the world, it is more important than ever to help one another hold on to the life-line of belonging. It matters not the color of your skin, or where you are from, or what you believe, or your gender identification -- you belong! Together we can meet all challenges that are to come.

February 16: Truly Modern Love Stories
By Rev. Cathy Harrington and Alex G.
Why are “true” love stories (the ones that really happened) the very best? If you have a “true” love story to share with us, send it to charrington@buffalouu.org.

February 23: Empathy
By Jen Coleman
Andrea Arnold wrote: "I always think that if you look at anyone in detail you will have empathy for them because you recognize them as a human being no matter what they've done." Is empathy a learned experience or is it innate? I have questions I'm hopeful we can make some progress unraveling.
