I love food. I love eating out and I love eating at home when my husband cooks. I love trying new things and I love my favorite comfort foods. I have never met a donut I didn’t love. Is there a better caloric solace for any disappointment than a Double Stuff Oreo? Hearing that Krispy Kream may be going bankrupt made me want to go buy three boxes. Food. I celebrate with it, commiserate with it, and console with it. I savor it. I stuff it. I love food.
I love sharing a meal with friends, whether it’s a quiet meal with my husband or a friend, or a carry-in dinner at church, and everything in between. This is not something I grew up with at home. Mealtimes were not pleasant social experiences. We came to the table when we were called, ate what was placed before us (as quickly as possible), excused ourselves and moved on. My father’s favorite and oft said table comment was, “Sit up, shut, and eat.”
Going to college changed all that for me. I understood immediately the phenomenon of the Freshman 15 (average pounds gained by Freshman) and was more than willing to become a statistic. College was also where I learned to drink coffee. At my college the food was good, but that didn’t really matter. We ate and ate, and drank lots of coffee, and hung out in the cafeteria until they kicked us out.
This change in perspective and paradigm paved the way for me to better understand Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:20: “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” When I lived at home there was not much about this invitation that was “inviting.” College introduced me to the relaxed fellowship that is more akin to what Jesus was offering. Sharing a meal involves necessary caloric and nutrient intake for our physical being, but also the fellowship that our spirits need.
As I reflected on this, I realized that the seeds for this transition were planted while I was in High School. One of my most favorite things we did was pile into cars and drive across town to Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor. I’m not sure our contribution kept them in business, but we did what we could. It was there where I learned how much fun could be had sharing a meal as we downed our Pig Trough’s, Zoos, and Gibson Girls. All the while, we were shouting over the banging drum and celebrations all around us. Here, no one said or thought, “sit up, shut up, and eat.”
My college experience expanded this fellowship theme in so many ways. While I was there I traveled through the educational zone singing and preaching at churches on weekends. Through this I was introduced to the wonders of church carry-in dinners. Nothing says we love you like a feast prepared by church ladies! I was also blessed by the way people opened their homes to us, perfect strangers. It was so foreign to me, but the welcome was so genuine that I couldn’t help but take to it like a kitten to fresh milk.
Sharing a meal together. Researchers have been telling us that there are strong benefits to families and children who sit down and eat meals together. So, is it any wonder that God used meals to teach about himself? The Passover meal helped countless followers to understand God’s great mercy, love, and provision. Jesus gathered his disciples together at the end of his life and shared a meal. And in that meal gave us the means to remember his life and death and gift to us.
Many have used the Rev. 3:20’s invitation as a gateway to salvation, the beginning of the journey. And while that may be appropriate, I believe that the invitation is also about the continuation and deepening of our relationship. Just as we sat and ate and drank and hung around the table in college, Jesus invites us to deeper fellowship and relationship with him. Will you answer the door?
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