Because: Locked Doors and Open Hearts: Exploring Hospitality in Houses of Worship
In this thoughtful and gently humorous episode of "To Be and Do," host Philip Amerson reflects on the symbolic and literal meaning of doors — those that open, those that close, and what they say about our communities. Inspired by a personal mishap at a Los Angeles synagogue, Phil considers how physical barriers can reflect deeper societal attitudes about belonging, welcome, and hospitality.
Phil begins by recounting a memorable experience early in his career: accidentally getting locked in the yard of a synagogue after showing up for a meeting on the wrong week. The story, both funny and revealing, finds Phil anxiously climbing a six-foot fence and imagining headlines about a "Seminary President caught escaping from a Synagogue." His self-aware humor sets the tone for a deeper exploration of how locked doors, though sometimes necessary, can have broader implications for our communities.
He notices that even in small, low-risk towns, churches and synagogues are increasingly locking their doors — a marked shift from the past. Phil highlights the United Methodist Church’s longtime motto, "Open hearts, open minds, open doors," and wonders aloud whether this ideal remains true today.
Phil invites listeners to reflect on their own places of worship or community gathering: Do they exude hospitality, or are they becoming more closed-off and insular? He leaves us pondering whether the trend toward locked doors, both physical and metaphorical, is leading us toward limited connections and narrower communities.
Top Three Takeaways:
- Physical Barriers Reflect Societal Shifts:
- Phil’s story highlights how the necessity for locked doors, even in houses of worship, symbolizes a larger move toward caution and reduced communal trust. This shift prompts important questions about how we demonstrate hospitality in our spaces today.
- Humor Eases Difficult Reflections:
- By sharing his own embarrassing and lighthearted story of getting locked in and scaling a fence, Phil creates a welcoming space for listeners to consider serious topics — reminding us that vulnerability and laughter can open doors to deeper conversations.
- Questioning the State of our Communities:
- The episode ends with an open invitation: reflect on your congregation’s (or community’s) posture toward newcomers. Are we intentionally welcoming, or have locked doors — literal and figurative — become the norm? Phil challenges us to consider what kind of society we want to create moving forward.
Stay tuned for the next episode featuring guest musician Ken Medema, and join Phil as he continues to explore belonging, hospitality, and the spaces that shape us all.
