One of the most important challenges facing individual believers and Christian communities is coping with the tension between maintaining boundaries and practicing hospitality to others who are quite different from us. Caroline Westerhoff, Canon for Congregational Life and Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, uses a mix of personal stories and scriptural passages to explore this delicate balance.
She writes cogently about the danger of blurring our boundaries and erasing essential aspects of our core identity. Equally dangerous is when we become too rigid and restrictive and risk missing the angel who is disguised as the outsider. Westerhoff imaginatively turns the tables and states: "We are also the enemy strangers that others are struggling to welcome in their own right."
Fine models for Christian communities are monasteries that adhere to a strict rule and boundaries while also practicing hospitality to all. Good Fences is an excellent resource for church discussion groups. It contains questions that delve into the heart and the soul of the text.
