There is a scene common to all of us from high school. Who gets to sit at which lunch table. There are the geeks, the jocks, thespians, band, the goth table and perhaps the "in" crowd. Which table are you welcome at? Isn’t it a great feeling when someone says to you, come sit here with us? Isn’t it perhaps an even nicer feeling when you just know that you can simply come to a table of friends and plop yourself down, certain of your place.
This brings to mind everyone that does not feel welcome for one reason or another. Too religious? Too gay? Handicapped? Black, Indian, Asian, Hispanic.
There are so many factors involved in including people as well as reasons you might be excluded from the table. Timing, friendship, generosity and abundance, inclusiveness.
As someone who was neither geek, nerd nor jock , I was one who probably exhibited some kind of gay pheromone (even if it took me 50 years to recognize it ), I know how it feels to not be welcome at the table. I empathize with the marginalized and those who do not feel welcome at the table. Really, the people who are intentionally excluded from the table.
Questions that come to my mind from this short scripture passage today are very timely. The questions are very much about abundance, our faith, how big our table is, our generosity and who our brothers and sisters are in this world. Who do we welcome at our table? Come to think of it, what is our table? What does our faith call us to do especially during this Lenten season?
As a reference point I do now that Jesus dined at table with some very unlikely and seemingly undesirable sorts. Prostitutes. Tax collectors. Lepers. Women. Taken in the historical context of His time here on earth, Jesus was a downright radical. So I ask, what is your table and who is welcome?
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