A Personal Reflection on Faith, Community, and Hospitality
By Isaac French
Good morning!
Today's post is different. I want to share something personal, and I hope you won't mind. If you're not interested, feel free to skip. You won't hurt my feelings, I get it :)
Many of you know this, but for those who don't, I am a Christian. I take this seriously: it affects and informs every part of my life.
In fact, the church I belong to is so passionate about what we believe that we've lived out our commitment to each other and to God as a community (not the cliche kind, but the day-in/day-out, 24/7 kind) for over fifty years. It's a radically different life than most people.
Let me describe the community in a couple sentences:
Homestead Heritage is a vibrant, traditional Christian community dedicated to simplicity, sustainability, cooperation, and excellence in all we do. We strive to integrate all parts of life, from family and social bonds to vocation, economy, and education, into one whole and wholesome way of living. And since our beginnings in 1973 as an inner-city mission in NYC, we've blossomed into a thriving network of communities all around the world.
What is our mission? To honor our Maker, love our neighbors, and steward the earth. To live a life of harmony and purpose. We worship together, work together, play together, grow food together, homeschool our kids together—we do life together. Alright, hopefully that's clear enough :)
(Here's a 45-min glimpse into the community from a recent YouTuber if you want to see an outsider's view.)
I was born and raised this way, in a wonderful family with the most loving and caring dad, mom and grandparents (I mentioned the impact my grandpa Byron had on me in last week's newsletter).
Every good thing I am or have today, I credit 100% to the lifestyle and parents I've been so blessed to inherit. And "to whom much is given, much is required."
Now beyond telling you about our community and way of life, I want to point out one of the themes most central to the Christian ethic: hospitality.
There are different ways to put it, but serving and giving to others—even when they don't "deserve" it—is a central responsibility of our faith.
I get so excited just writing it, because there are so many countless ways I can live this out, including my passion and desire to create wonderful places for people to experience and enjoy.
My mission is to create unforgettable experiences and show genuine love and hospitality to everyone I encounter.
This whole idea of micro-resorts and experiential hospitality I talk so much about? Yes, it's profitable, it's a fantastic business model, etc. But it's a way to serve others. I'm certainly not immune to the selfish temptation of pursuing wealth or status. I need constant grounding in my faith, which is another reason I love living in community.
But I can honestly say I find the greatest joy in serving others, making them feel cared for and special, and designing places that embody this passion. This brings me so much fulfillment.
"It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)
I do believe there is a God, He is love, He does care, and He will bless those who make it their aim to practice this kind of selfless hospitality—loving their neighbors as themselves, and loving Him, too.
This is the ultimate unreasonable hospitality: embodied in the example of our Lord Jesus, and in so many wonderful people around me.
I wouldn't be anything without Him, and without them.
I've shared before how, during the Live Oak Lake project, I broke my pelvis when a ladder fell out from underneath me. It was a major crisis for me: I was hospitalized for a week, had multiple surgeries and was on crutches for several months.
Not only did my family and friends step in to care for Helen and me every moment of that difficult season, bringing us constant meals and gifts, visiting, praying for us and so much more, but they also stepped up in a major way to help me get the project over the finish line.
It simply wouldn't have happened without them.
This is one small, isolated example out of a lifetime full of them. I've come to appreciate more and more that having a network—a community—of friends and family of this kind is absolutely priceless. I wouldn't trade anything for it, and it's my greatest privilege to do the same for them, and for others—even when there's no apparent benefit for me.
So, I will continue to strive to show unreasonable hospitality in my business and in my whole life. I look up to so many others as examples far beyond me, and it inspires and challenges me to give more.
That's the wonderful thing about showing love and hospitality: it's contagious, and it compounds! And it's especially meaningful in the context of real community.
I'm deeply grateful to live this life with the friends and family I have and with the common goal we share to love God, and to love each other.
Ok, that's all for now. Hopefully I didn't scare you too much:) I just wanted to tell y'all a little bit about my life, and what makes me do what I do.
I genuinely appreciate every one of you who reads this newsletter. Thanks for your continued support!
—Isaac