What would the world look like if more people knew belonging? What would the world look like if more people knew they were beloved?
You belong. You are beloved.
It started with a dream.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is credited with popularizing the term “Beloved Community,” but this dream is rooted deep with in Christian scriptures and traditions (and other faith traditions as well), even when it has failed to be fully realized. The Beloved Community Dr. King points to reflects to love of God by committing itself to justice and radical inclusion.
Radical Inclusion.
For us it means we affirm and support our LGBTQ+ siblings, and it means we recognize the continued work we are called to do for healing, reconciliation, and justice, especially in our relationships with Black, Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color. Religious groups haven't always been a place of welcome for these groups of people, so it’s important for us to make sure people who have been excluded in the past know they truly are welcomed. That also doesn’t mean there aren’t others who haven’t experienced exclusion as well, as we grow in knowledge and love we are committed to being open to where we have fallen short in the past or where we fall short in the present, so that we can cultivate a more inclusive future for all people.
What’s the good news?
The good news is you belong, you are beloved. As Christians we hear this good news throughout scriptures, and we see this good news about God revealed through Jesus. Most importantly, what we have learned and experienced is that God’s love, grace, mercy, justice, healing, and compassion is for everyone. It’s not reserved for a select few. Even if you don’t know exactly what you believe, even if you have questions and doubts, if you know what love looks like or if you’d like to know what it looks like, we hope to get to know your story.
Who are we?
Currently we are several Episcopal clergy and lay leaders from the Mobile area who are asking about new and different ways in which we can build better relationships with our surrounding community. This idea for community is meant to reach far beyond our own denomination—this is about friends, neighbors, strangers, and aliens who yearn to belong to something good and sacred. We trust God’s kingdom is bigger than what we could ever possible imagine, so no matter your background, if you are interested in being a part of meaningful community, we would love to have you join us.
What do we hope to cultivate?
We hope to create a space, in person and online, where people know they have a place to belong, where people know they are beloved. We don’t have a permanent location yet, but you can follow us on social media and our website to get up to date information about the offerings we will be having to get to know our community better.
Share it.
What has love looked like in your life? What about grace or hope or mercy? We all have stories that have made us who we are, some stories have been heartbreaking, some transformative, and some have given us new life. We hope in hearing a little of our story you are reminded that you belong and you are beloved. Most importantly we hope you will share you story, with us, and with others you encounter, so that others might know they are beloved too.