Symposium Sneak Peek #2: Leo Sanchez

The 2014 Theological Symposium is fast approaching (September 23-24), and we thought we’d give the world a sneak peek into the four plenary presentations that will be given over the two days. They will all, of course, be centered in the theme, “Faithful Witness to God’s Story in the World Around Us: Bringing a Unique Perspective to Common Human Experiences.”

The second plenary will be given by Leopoldo Sánchez. Here’s the official synopsis:

“Faithful Witness in Marginality and Hospitality”

God created us for community. We long to live connected to other human creatures. All of us share a common need for friendship and hospitality, and value welcoming and being welcomed. Yet we also experience betrayal, hostility, brokenness, and isolation in human relationships. We thus feel connected to others, but also marginalized from others. How can our shared experiences of community and marginality in the world be illumined, deepened, and transformed by the Christian story? How does the fullness of God’s salvation transform the perceived weakness of reciprocity and life at the margins into strengths?

And here’s what Professor Sánchez has to say about it:

“Jesus and his disciples are from Galilee in Nazareth, where ‘nothing good comes from.’ Jesus also walked along the despised border between Samaria and Galilee and showed hospitality to strangers. His disciples are sent out into the world to do the same. A heightened awareness of the church’s marginality and hospitality in the world helps us see things in Scripture we wouldn’t otherwise see. Conversely, can the experiences of marginal and hospitable neighbors in our communities help in some way illuminate our own understanding of the church, of what the church and her work looks like in a world full of alienation and hostility?”

For more information on the 2014 Theological Symposium, click here.