In the baptismal covenant, which we Episcopalians affirm at every baptism, we promise to “respect the dignity of every human being.” What that means, and to whom that vow extends may be a matter of debate. But it shouldn’t be. And that vow is why I am concerned about the treatment of the men who stay at the homeless shelter as well as those people who come to our food pantry. We are not a social service agency. We are the church, the body of Christ. I have said repeatedly that radical hospitality means welcoming everyone in, and treating everyone who comes in our doors with dignity and respect. We are not the federal government; we are not a social service agency. We are the Church, and when we act we must act with the mind of Christ and knowing that we are encountering Christ in the faces of those to whom we minister.

If we do not treat those who come to our doors with dignity, then we are not doing what we are called to do.

In the State Journal article about our sexton, the caption on Russ’s photo reads, “he learned to show respect for homeless people ‘because everyone is human and deserves some dignity’.” There’s nothing more important, more profound, that one can say.