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written by Stephan Joubert

Food is a concrete part of our faith. That’s why most feasts in the Bible had to do with food and eating. When the Israelites celebrated a feast in the presence of God, they ate. The get-togethers of the early Christians were also characterized by simple meals. Our communion is a faint representation of the early Church’s festive meals. Food, joy, and faith go hand in hand. That was well realized by the first Christians. That’s why they liked eating together despite the persecution and opposition that they encountered. They invited the risen Lord as a Guest of Honor to every meal.

It’s sad that we’re still struggling to find the proper connection between our faith and food. Yes, I know that we were just (are still?) in a festive setting in the week between Christmas and New Year. But, for the rest of the year we seem to lose our festive mood. Could that be because food just isn’t ‘spiritual’ enough for most of us? Please go and learn from the first Christians and from other believers, like the writer of Ecclesiastes who found joy in the simplicity of bread and wine. Eat your bread with joy every day, no matter how sad it looks. Declare every meal spontaneously to a feast, no matter how slight or over-the-top it might be. O yes, and invite the Lord as the Guest of Honor to every meal that you attend. Also regularly invite someone who’s suffering to a simple feast with you. Then the Lord’s Year of Jubilee happens tangibly at every meal.

I pray

Lord, You are the Guest of Honor at every meal I attend
You are the Lord of the Feast
You are the One who it’s all about
Be welcome at every meal
Be honored by every word spoken
In the Name of Jesus

Amen