Welcome In

One of the things I’ve loved during my time in the southern United States this summer is a simple phrase.

“Welcome in.”

You hear it everywhere.

Not just hello.

Welcome in.

It struck me because welcoming the stranger is one of humanity’s oldest customs.

However, hospitality has always been more than offering food or shelter. It’s about communicating one simple truth: there is room for you here.

Across the world, cultures have found beautiful ways to say the same thing. In parts of Europe, a red front door became a sign of welcome. Across the Middle East, offering coffee or bread remains an act of honour. In the Celtic world, the traveller was often received before they were questioned.

Different customs.

The same message.

Perhaps our world needs a little more of that.

A little more noticing.

A little more kindness.

A few more open doors.

We rarely know what someone has carried with them before they meet us. And perhaps, if we’re honest, sometimes we’re the ones who need to hear those words ourselves.

This week, may your words, your smile, your table, or simply your presence, say to someone: “Welcome in.”