Building Bigger Tables

"Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible." - The Apostle Paul from his first letter to the Corinthians  

"Get out of your own way." - U2 

If you're like me, you have a list of people who showed you who Jesus is, even if they didn’t say a word. They are people we trust: teachers, coaches, parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders, Sunday School teachers, friends, etc. In my experience the people whose lives demonstrate Jesus are those who show genuine care and compassion; people invested in our welfare and future. They exude integrity, honesty, and sincerity. Most importantly, they are people with enough emotional maturity to love us despite our fears, hurts, doubts and disappointments.  

I think perhaps, when Paul wrote his first letter to the church in Corinth so long ago, he must have thought much about the value of trust, empathy, and guest-hood (in case you're wondering, that's not a word). He must have thought about the broad, never-ending table of Jesus and those who are invited but have not yet made the connection. Paul's hospitality moved beyond words and stepped into the lives of the people he was hoping to share the good news of Jesus with.  

It can be easy to forget what our experiences and thoughts were like before we knew Jesus, especially for those of us who have been followers of Jesus for a very long time. The longer we spend in church settings, the further away we are from the version of ourselves who didn’t yet know Christ. We must remind ourselves often of our faith story and model our lives after those who demonstrated so clearly the love and belonging we can have with Jesus.   

Here are Four Simple Rules for living life in such a way that others know your faith is good news:   

1. Remember that ALL people are created and loved by God 

2. Remind ourselves that we have been called a “royal priesthood” with a mission to live out within the spaces where we already exist for work, hobbies, and our neighborhood.  

3. Recognize that you are a guest in the lives of others and it isn’t your job to renovate who they are and how they behave.  

4. Remain attuned to opportunities that exist around you for meeting needs, providing encouragement, or otherwise being present for those in your midst.