“Enlarge the tent.” The challenge of a Church home for all

"Enlarge the tent, spread the sheets of your dwelling without sparing; lengthen the ropes, strengthen your stakes"(Isaiah 54.2). These words of the prophet Isaiah resonate today with extraordinary strength, especially for those who dream of a more open, inclusive Church capable of embracing every person without distinction. The image of the tent recalls something alive, which does not remain immobile, but adapts, grows, welcomes.

In the Bible, the tent is a symbol of home, refuge and presence of God. During the exodus, it was the visible sign of the bond between God and the people: “They will make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them"(Exodus 25.8). But that tent was not a rigid or exclusive place: it was open, in movement, ready to follow the changes of the path. And this is precisely Isaiah's message: widening the tent means not excluding anyone, creating space to welcome every story, every identity, every diversity.

For a queer person, the tent is a symbol of hope and inclusion. It is the dream of a Church that welcomes everyone, without prejudice, and offers a place where each person feels welcomed and loved for who they are. It's not just about tolerating, but about building a common home, where no one is forced to feel "different" or "wrong". This is what the Second Vatican Council describes inGaudium et spes: «Le gioie e le speranze, le tristezze e le angosce degli uomini d’oggi, dei poveri soprattutto e di tutti coloro che soffrono, sono pure le gioie e le speranze, le tristezze e le angosce dei discepoli di Cristo".

"Extend the tent” doesn't mean losing your identity, but making it bigger, more welcoming, more real. It means, as Don Primo Mazzolari said, transforming the Church into a "hearth that knows no absences”, where no one is excluded, where everyone can feel at home. It is putting the message of the Gospel into practice: “In my Father's house there are many mansions"(John 14,2).

Isaiah's invitation calls us to look beyond borders, to leave fears and prejudices aside, and to build a Church that not only welcomes, but accompanies. A Church that listens, that becomes close, that transforms the love of God into concrete gestures.

LGBT+ people, like anyone experiencing a condition of marginality, must no longer feel on the margins of the Christian community, but an integral part of it. This is the true meaning of "widen the tent”: creating a space where everyone can find refuge, dignity and love.

It is a task that concerns all of us. As Christians we are called in our churches to make room for others and to live the Gospel in the concreteness of life.

Because a tent that expands is a Church that lives, grows and becomes more and more faithful to God's dream: a home open to all.

Read more > Are we walking together? Becomes a "dreamer" de La Tenda di Gionata