I think we need a different kind of society.

Not a society built around exclusion, division, suspicion, and “us versus them.”

Not a society where we constantly ask who belongs, who doesn’t belong, who deserves help, or who is worthy of our attention.

I want to live in an Invite & Invest society.

A society where we look around and ask:

“Who can I invite in?”

And then:

“How can I invest in them?”

Because an invitation can change someone’s life.

Invite someone to your table.

Invite someone into your home.

Invite someone into the conversation.

Invite someone who feels forgotten.

Invite someone who doesn’t look like you.

Invite someone who doesn’t vote like you.

Invite someone who doesn’t worship like you.

Invite someone who comes from somewhere different.

Invite someone who simply needs a friend.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give another person is the simple message:

“There is a place for you here.”

But don’t stop with the invitation.

Invest.

Invest your time.

Invest your attention.

Invest your encouragement.

Invest your experience.

Invest your resources.

Invest your relationships.

Invest your wisdom.

Invest your prayers.

Invest in someone’s dreams.

Invest in someone’s potential.

Invest in someone who needs a second chance.

Invest in someone who hasn’t yet discovered what they are capable of becoming.

Because people aren’t investments in the financial sense.

They are investments in the human sense.

And the return isn’t money.

The return is changed lives.

A young person who discovers their purpose.

A struggling neighbor who realizes they aren’t alone.

A discouraged friend who finds hope again.

A stranger who becomes a friend.

A broken person who begins to heal.

A community that becomes stronger because people decided to care about one another.

That’s what happens when we invest in people.

And here’s the beautiful thing:

You don’t have to be rich to invest in someone.

You can invest five minutes.

You can make a phone call.

You can send a text.

You can listen.

You can encourage.

You can teach.

You can introduce someone to an opportunity.

You can buy someone a meal.

You can give someone a ride.

You can mentor someone.

You can open a door.

You can simply show up.

Sometimes investing in people means saying:

“I believe in you.”

And sometimes it means saying:

“I’m not giving up on you.”

We live in a world that seems determined to put people into categories.

Left.

Right.

Rich.

Poor.

Christian.

Non-Christian.

Citizen.

Immigrant.

Insider.

Outsider.

Us.

Them.

But before we are any of those things, we are human beings.

And every human being has a story.

Every human being carries something we may know nothing about.

Every human being has value.

Every human being deserves dignity.

And every human being has the potential to make a difference.

So let’s stop asking:

“What can this person do for me?”

Let’s start asking:

“What can I pour into this person?”

Let’s stop asking:

“Do they deserve an invitation?”

Let’s start asking:

“How can I make them feel welcome?”

Let’s stop waiting for someone else to make a difference.

Let’s be the difference.

Invite the lonely.

Invest in the young.

Encourage the discouraged.

Welcome the stranger.

Mentor the searching.

Stand beside the hurting.

Celebrate someone else’s success.

Give someone a second chance.

Open a door for someone who has been standing outside.

And when you have the opportunity to lift someone up, do it.

Because someday, you may be the person who needs someone else to do the same for you.

Imagine neighborhoods where people actually know their neighbors.

Imagine churches where nobody walks through the doors feeling invisible.

Imagine schools where every child has at least one adult who believes in them.

Imagine workplaces where people are valued as human beings, not simply as employees.

Imagine communities where generosity is normal.

Imagine a country where we could disagree without dehumanizing one another.

Imagine what could happen if we became known not for the people we kept out…

but for the people we invited in and invested in.

That’s the society I want.

An Invite & Invest society.

Because we may never know what one invitation will lead to.

We may never know what one conversation will change.

We may never know what one act of kindness will mean to someone.

We may never know whose life will be different because we chose to believe in them.

But that’s okay.

We don’t have to know.

We just have to be willing to invest.

So today, look around.

Who needs an invitation?

Who needs encouragement?

Who needs someone to listen?

Who needs an opportunity?

Who needs a second chance?

Who needs someone to believe in them?

Go find them.

Invite them in.

Pull up another chair.

Make room at the table.

And then invest your time, your heart, your wisdom, your resources and your love.

Because I believe we can build something better.

Not by building higher walls…

but by building longer tables.

Not by asking who belongs…

but by making room.

Not by tearing people down…

but by investing in people and helping them rise.

Invite.
Invest.
Encourage.
Believe.
Love.

Let’s build an Invite & Invest society.

Because there is always room for one more at the table. ~OC