Kindness Matters

Why write about hospitality? In a world full of problems, run-away technologies, and violence, why focus on something as basic as hospitality?

The answer is twofold:
(1) We believe that hospitality, like kindness, really does matter; and
(2) we believe that hospitality is becoming a lost art. All of us know something about hospitality. We remember the smell of our Italian grandmother's spaghetti sauce on Sunday afternoon.

We recall the pink bakery boxes with the white string that cluttered the kitchen counter in the homes of our Polish aunts. And on a deeper level, some of us remember the images of Mother Teresa of Calcutta carrying a dying person into her home to care for him. And for sure, these smells and sights speak of hospitality. But in our often hostile world, our culture is getting worse at understanding and living out a true sense of welcoming. Despite the best efforts of Martha Stewart, sincere hospitality is getting more difficult to live. What Martha Stewart and the folks at HGTV and the food network are teaching us is the art of entertaining, not welcoming. We have written this book to encourage ourselves and others to take a fresh look at how well we are doing being true hosts. Every person, family, ministry, business, and church community needs to evaluate their efforts honestly and not simply presume they are receiving an "A" for "awesome" when it comes to anticipating the needs of others. Read, reflect, re-evaluate, and re-commit to turning our world of hostility into a world with a new spirit and understanding of hospitality. We welcome you to Kindness Matters and we hope that what we share in this book, and the discussion it may provoke, will matter to you and your family. May the world be a better place because we have welcomed each other into our hearts.