February 8 - Love & be loved Who: Kin beyond skin

Kin Beyond Skin with Dennis Augustine

Who should we love?

In a world increasingly defined by silos and survivalism, the definition of "family" often remains dangerously narrow. On February 8th, 2026, we welcome back a familiar voice to West Hill, Dennis Augustine, for a provocative exploration of kinship titled: "Kin Beyond Skin: Redefining the Family of Humanity."

Dennis will challenge us to move beyond the traditional boundaries of blood and belief. Drawing on the "Sacred Ethics" of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the "Interbeing" of Thich Nhat Hanh, and the beautiful biological reality of our shared DNA, he argues that kinship is not a social preference—it is a moral and scientific imperative.

Watch the gathering here

Readings

THE MIRROR OF RECOGNITION

Our first reading comes from the poet and activist, Maya Angelou. Throughout her life, Angelou’s work was dedicated to revealing the shared dignity of the human spirit. She called for a radical empathy—an intentional looking beneath the surface to find a common core.

"I wish that we could look into each other's faces, in each other's eyes, and see our own selves."

THE BIOLOGICAL THREAD

Our second reading comes from the astronomer and science communicator, Carl Sagan. In his exploration of the universe, Sagan frequently returned to the profound biological reality that connects every living thing on Earth. He reminds us that at the molecular level, we do not merely inhabit the world—we are of it.

"The deep similarities between any two different kinds of organisms—even those as different as a whale and a redwood tree—show that all life on Earth is related. We share the same molecular machinery. We are made of the same stardust. We are, in the most profound sense, a single family."

THE PHILOSOPHY OF INTERBEING

Our third reading is from Thich Nhat Hanh, the Zen monk who pioneered 'Engaged Buddhism.' He coined the term 'Interbeing' to show that whenever we divide the world into 'us' and 'them,' we ignore the reality that we are inextricably linked to the earth itself.

"To be is to inter-be. You cannot just be by yourself alone. You have to inter-be with every other thing."

READING FOUR: THE REVERSAL OF THE QUESTION

Our final reading comes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In his 1963 sermon 'On Being a Good Neighbor,' Dr. King used the Parable of the Good Samaritan to challenge us to see kinship as a choice rather than an accident of birth.

"The first question that the Levite asked was, 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'"