He Agape PART IV

He Agape pt 4.

Love Feast

“In the days of the early Christians, anyone who was a believer would gather to celebrate the Eucharist together. Economic class and station did not matter. What was important was the unifying faith in Jesus Christ. The Eucharist these early Christians celebrated came in two parts: the bread and wine, and a full meal. As the story goes, Christians were charged with bringing an amount of food proportional to their income. How incredible, awe-inspiring, humbling, convicting, knowing that these early believers, so full of passion, were wiping clean the slate of inequity and celebrating their Savior with all who would come. “

Many times throughout my journey of living in the city I have had humbling moments. I have walked beside various individuals and families through immense amounts of both joy and pain. Through it all my passion and heart for the city beats louder, and I begin to see growth within myself and others. I see hope in the child who begins to recognize what their dreams truly are, or in the father who is so proud of their son for getting the “student of the month award” at school. I love the sharing of life stories, and there is not a better place to do that than around a dinner table.

At 3030 Oakland Avenue it has long since been a tradition to host a “Love Feast.” Friends volunteer to bring food, and the word is spread that a community meal will be taking place at our home. This year as a way to begin the evening Cody led everyone into a time of communion. Afterwards, it was time to share in food and fellowship with one another. I have often thought about meals being such a sacred gathering of people. People began loading up their plates with food and found their way to various areas of the house. We had over 60 people in our home, and 32 kids under the age of 12! Laughter was heard throughout the house, and connections began to form between people. It is my hope that the individuals who came into our home that November evening left with a feeling of community and a glimpse of something beautiful.

In Robert Lupton’s book “Theirs is the Kingdom: Celebrating the Gospel in Urban America”, he states “The world is urbanizing. The city is our opportunity firsthand to see how God is doing his creative work in our day. It is both fearful and wonderful, and invitation to death and incomparable life. And it is ours to discover together.”