From house to house breaking bread...

I reconnected with another old friend this week. Someone I haven't seen in 15 years or so. We went to lunch together today and had a good time catching up on old times, filling each other in on what's happened in our lives, and discussing a bit of theology along the way.

Nothing extra special took place... just friends chatting over food. Yet, it was incredibly refreshing-- physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Maybe that's why the scriptures so frequently show Jesus sharing a meal with others. Not only with his disciples but also with sinners, with prostitutes, tax collectors, etc. In fact, the "religious folks" often criticized him for that very reason.

In Acts, it is said that those in the early church "went from house to house breaking bread" and rehearsing the things the Lord had done... and new converts were added to the church daily.

Today, I think sometimes we lose sight of just how powerful sharing a meal can be. It is a time of sharing... not just of food but of oneself. And in that sharing, relationship is built. And through relationships, the simplicity of the gospel is lived out.

Maybe it's time that we had the same kind of reputation as Jesus... a reputation for going out to eat with "unsavory types". Maybe we would see the kind of results the early church saw if we did so...