As I sat at the table surrounded by smiling, giggling little bodies, I could not help but laugh along with them. The table was my daughter's lunchroom table and all of those little bodies were her classmates. She had been asking me to each lunch with her for a while. Little did I know that meant having lunch with the whole class.
There was such an overflow of enthusiasm as each one wanted to tell me about their pet, or their lunch, or other things that I cannot remember. If all of this was not enough, I was asking them all sorts of questions. My experience in church has told me that nothing is quite as entertaining as asking little children open-ended questions and then waiting for the answers. I do not know who enjoyed themselves more at that meal, them or me.
There seems to be something nearly magical about sharing a meal with someone else. Gathering around food is a catalyst for conversations and connections. Maybe this is why Jesus used the metaphor of a meal when he wanted to give us an idea about what life with him is like. In Revelation 3:20 he says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me."
Jesus presents himself as a dinner guest. If we will invite him into our lives, we will enjoy a fellowship with him that is similar to what happens around a table with good friends, where the laughter and conversation are flowing. That is a taste of the joy of life with God. Gathering around a table is not just a metaphor but a practice. Every Sunday churches all around the world celebrate the Lord's Supper together when they want to commemorate the great mystery of the faith.
The next time you get up from a table with a full stomach and jawbones that ache from laughing, or had a great time with a bunch of kids, take a moment to reflect on Jesus' words. The experience that you just had is a foretaste and a hint at what life is like with God.
Monte Johnston is pastor of the Clayton Presbyterian Church at 468 East Second Street and www.claytonpc.com.(This appeared in the Clayton News-Star the week of March 26th.)