By Barb Arland-Fye
Editorial
St. Ambrose University President Amy Novak and her husband Ken have spent their academic careers in conversation and dialogue with parents, students, faculty, staff and neighbors across the street. They share their family’s dinner table with 300 to 400 students over the course of each academic year. The Novaks view these efforts as a way to bring Christ to one another. In today’s fractured culture, a commitment to engage in conversation and dialogue — not just once but ongoing — especially with someone with whom we disagree, is essential in responding to Jesus’ call to carry on his mission.
No one said the process is easy. It involves learning to lose our fear, overcoming the anxiety that might accompany getting to know our neighbor. The reward is getting to know the stranger, opening up conversation for the first time and discovering what we share in common.
These are among the insights that Amy and Ken shared during a Sept. 23 presentation to adults at St. Joan of Arc Catholic School in Bettendorf titled “Radical Hospitality.” The Latin root of “radical” means rootedness, and the Latin root of “hospitality” means, essentially, friendliness to guests. The two words together convey a message of rootedness in Christ that leads to love of neighbor.
We need to resist the pull of our political persuasions and social media silos — which fuel the fear of the person on “the other side.” We need to create a posture of openness to conversation and dialogue, rooted in Christ’s love, and discover what we share in common with our neighbor or stranger. And, rather than shying away from controversies, we might look at them as invitations to learn from each other, as Amy suggested.
We find our most “common ground,” as Ken said, in our shared need for certainty, significance, growth, contribution, connection and mystery. These values are in addition to the basic human needs that all of us share. The Iowa Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of Iowa’s bishops, reminds us that “food and water, clean air, shelter, clothing, education, health care, peace and security, a place to work” are “the goods we hold in common with each other, and access in a similar way.”
So, how do we bring the body of Christ to one another? We begin with ourselves, trusting in God’s love for us, and — by virtue of every person being created in God’s image — recognize that God loves our neighbor, the stranger, and our perceived opponents. We follow the two greatest commandments of Christ — to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These serve as the foundation on which to bring the body of Christ to one another.
Some other suggestions:
- Pray. Prayer raises our awareness of God’s presence in our lives and in the lives of others.
- Reflect on Scripture, such as this passage from Ephesians:
“… Get rid of all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander and malice of every kind. In place of these, be kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ” (Ephesians 4: 29-32).
- Accompany. In a compelling column about their 4-year-old son with autism, J.D. Long García and Tamara Long García talk about their need for accompaniment. What they want, “more than treatment or speculation about causes or if-I-were-you advice, is accompaniment. We want people to walk with us and support us as we walk with and support our son” (America, 9-24-25).
Who among our neighbors needs accompaniment? What about the person living alone who is undergoing cancer treatment? Or the family whose primary income earner has lost their job? Or the widow/widower feeling so alone, three months after their loved one’s funeral? Or the shunned teen?
- Advocate: Contact members of Iowa’s congressional delegation regarding the federal budget and legislation that will affect individuals and families in the areas of affordable housing, food, health care, clean air and water and family separation — forced or not. Contact U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (ernst.senate.gov) and Charles Grassley (grassley.senate.gov). Keep abreast of federal legislation through congress.gov and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (usccb.org) and Iowa state legislation on the Iowa Catholic Conference website (iowacatholicconference.org).
- Invite a neighbor, an acquaintance or someone who has fallen away from the faith to Mass with you. Invite them to join your family for dinner, following the example of Amy and Ken Novak. This may require stepping outside of your comfort zone, but the reward is opening up a conversation and discovering what we share in common. This is how we bring the body of Christ to one another.
Barb Arland-Fye, editor emeritus
barbarland85@gmail.com
