Real Hope: Food for the SoulShembull

The Passover

Many metaphors represent the essence of Christianity – a large oak tree, a pearl in a field, and a magical wardrobe. However, for me, the vision of a dinner feast resonates. Imagine a long dinner table with a linen tablecloth adorned with candles, flowers, personal ornaments, plates, fine cutlery, wine glasses, and filled with platters of roasted meats and vegetables, salads and breads. The colours, the smells, the textures, the warmth. Now seat people there from all walks of life. They are curious and kind, and generous with their words as they share stories, and listen deeply, laughing, praying, and totally present in the moment. Time is irrelevant as the meal proceeds and the connections grow. That’s a dinner I’d love to experience!

In the book of Exodus, the story of the Passover is prophetic of what is to come through Jesus. Namely, salvation for all. The instruction in the Old Testament was to gather your family in your home and enjoy a feast together, and it lasted a week. The blood-marked door frames and the dinner tables in Jewish homes were the identification markers for God’s saving of these people. It is quite remarkable to think that salvation was tied to feasting together. That by their participation in sharing a meal with their community, they were saved and entered into freedom.

Throughout Jesus’ life, we observe time and again His priority to feast with others and celebrate life. The dinner table was an important cultural symbol in ancient times and Jesus used it to include and identify with the unreligious, women, children and outsiders. All were welcome at His table, and this is arguably where the majority of His ministry took place. Who could you host around your table in the coming weeks as an act of freedom and love?

Written by SAM FAGAN