As the holiday season is pretty much here, beginning with Thanksgiving, there is one element throughout that we can’t do without: Food! Not sure what others will be eating here in CA, but in my family and circle throughout this season, we will be eating Turkey (Thanksgiving, of course), stuffing, arroz con gandules (rice-PR style), habichuelas (beans, PR-style), tamales, pasteles (PR-style tamales), frijoles puercos, buñuelos, flan, and who knows what else will be added to the Mexican-Puerto Rican-US mix.
As I was reading earlier today in the Bible, I ran across the early church’s custom to eat together, which some called “Love Feasts.” It’s unbelievable how much “connection” and relationship-building can occur between people at the table…having some eats. Jesus did it countless times, the early church did it as well and even today it occurs quite often. I’ve experienced this connection with people throughout my life and have noticed its beneficial effect in ministry as well as in doing life with people.
However, I have had somewhat regrettable times in my life where I did succumb to the individualistic milieu of the society and instead of contributing to something so organic as community, I contributed toward its demise. Of course, I don’t purposely do this anymore, but I have to consciously make decisions as to promote community…even through something so mundane as meals. To eat...everybody does it. Why not eat together once in a while? I mean, who doesn’t like to eat???
How much does this individualistic society influence us to the point we don’t eat together as families or as faith communities? How could we connect to unbelievers through meals? Could we be more “effective” as missional followers of Christ through…food?
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