Turning Tables

     The room was buzzing with conversation. The meeting was about to start. Where to sit? So many tables and most of them full. There was a table for ten on the on the right side and there was just one woman there. Plenty of room! I hurried over. "Do you mind if I sit here?" I asked. "I don't know if there's room" she replied. I laughed out loud, plopped myself down and met one of my dearest friends. The table, that sometimes utilitarian, sometimes fanciful piece of furniture, is a gathering space for eating, talking, listening and connecting. For Christians, it can be a tangible reminder to be inclusive.

We can always add a chair.

Some tables are fancy

There all kinds of tables, even mushroom tables.

     Both the Old and New Testaments mention the table. There are the decadent banquets of Babylon in the book of Daniel. Psalm 23:5 declares: "You prepare a table before my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." New Testament scenes include Jesus eating and conversing with tax collectors and reclining with his disciples at the Last Supper. He encouraged his followers saying "when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled,the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."(Luke 14:13-14)

The Last Supper by Salvador Dali

     In stark contrast to Jesus, Louis XIV hosted a Grand Supper each evening. He singled out nobles and honored them by inviting them to sit with him and watch him eat. These hungry nobles were not interested in dining. Their privileged seats gave them access to patronage and power. Jesus does not give access to a select few. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus admonished his followers on the dangers of hierarchy and pride. The parable of  the vineyard makes this point. Those who come to work later are paid the same wage as the early workers. The early workers are disgruntled; the landowner replies, " Are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first and the first will be last." (Matthew 20:15-16)  If Jesus is a our King, and he is a King of reversal, what does this mean for how we live our lives?

Hungry nobles loved to watch him eat, just so they could be near power

     Imagine the lunchroom of your elementary school days. Visualize the cliques of your high school days. Call to mind the single people in your church or neighborhood. Think about the new neighbor or colleague. There have been times when I really needed a seat. There have been times when I failed to offer a seat and times when I gladly gave one. Sometimes it might be an actual chair, other times it might be a kind word or gesture. It is the inclusion that counts. Luke 6:38 reads,"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Jesus' message is love. When we reach out to others, we align ourselves with our highest calling. We turn the tables on human nature and imitate Christ.
   
     

Even A Grinch Can Build A Wall

    The quote was on my sister's fridge. It said, " I am doing a great work and I can't come down." --Nehemiah. The quote referred to an Andy Stanley sermon entitled "This One Thing." Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and there were those who actively opposed him. They tried to trick him into stopping his project and coming down off the wall. Andy Stanley pointed out that we all have projects that we've been assigned. They differ, but our resolve and who we serve remain the same. My sister was deeply touched by the message. I thought it was interesting, but it didn't resonant with me...until this week.

Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for life.

     My son is a high school senior. It is a transition year for both of us. He turned 18 so he began going to the doctor on his own and making more of his own decisions. Of course, there is the elephant in the room, we are waiting to hear from colleges. I have spent the last 6 months learning to hold my tongue and watching him do things his own way. I have used my health care knowledge to advocate for him in medical crises, gotten math tutors, encouraged him to make friends and corrected him when he needed it. I have been building my wall all along.
     There have been missed opportunities and projects. At times, I questioned my lack of status and earning potential. My ego has screamed for attention. Despite my doubts, I have been amazed at the priceless revelations that have fallen into my lap.
     I have questioned the Great Architect many times. Surely, I am not qualified for this work? Surely someone else would do a better job? The answer has been the same, consistent one: "This is your job and it will make you into the woman you were meant to be." It has done just that. Being a mother has made me a more humble and compassionate person. It allowed me to truly love without any guarantee of reciprocity. When my son was born, I had my own Christmas revelation. Like the Grinch, my heart grew three sizes that day; I am forever grateful and humbled.