During the month of January, churches throughout the DC area
have been organizing to offer free evening meals to federal workers and their
families. It is a very small thing in the grand scheme of things. It doesn't
pay the mortgage or keep Volkswagen from coming to take away the family
car. But it is something. And it says,
"We see your situation." It says, "We want to be community with
you in this situation." It says, "You are not alone in this." It
says, "We love you."
Last week a woman in our condo building in downtown DC, a federal worker, posted an ad on the internal resident's email system. She was selling her furniture in order to eat. The bank is probably going to delay foreclosure a bit longer, but we have to eat.
Years ago, when a terrible hurricane devastated northwest Florida, as soon as the storm passed, members of our church, without any authorization, broke into the kitchens at both campuses and began cooking anything they could find. Residents began to trickle in from the surrounding neighborhoods. Those kitchens kept going for weeks, even as the Red Cross set up camp and various church relief teams came in from other places. What I loved most about that story was that our people just knew it was time to fire up the gas and make dinner. They self-organized. Their authorization, their permission, came from the Holy Spirit.
Last week a woman in our condo building in downtown DC, a federal worker, posted an ad on the internal resident's email system. She was selling her furniture in order to eat. The bank is probably going to delay foreclosure a bit longer, but we have to eat.
Years ago, when a terrible hurricane devastated northwest Florida, as soon as the storm passed, members of our church, without any authorization, broke into the kitchens at both campuses and began cooking anything they could find. Residents began to trickle in from the surrounding neighborhoods. Those kitchens kept going for weeks, even as the Red Cross set up camp and various church relief teams came in from other places. What I loved most about that story was that our people just knew it was time to fire up the gas and make dinner. They self-organized. Their authorization, their permission, came from the Holy Spirit.
Breaking bread and sharing a cup in Christianity - it is what we do best. It is at the heart of our liturgy, and it is the thing that we instinctively do, when we don't know what else we can do.
Once, a drunk driver killed a girl in our church. She was a rising leader, with maturity beyond her age - and she was killed senselessly and suddenly. Her family was in shock. There were absolutely no words that were particularly helpful, except perhaps, "We love you." But oh my, the food, that filled that family's kitchen and overflowed into the dining room! Most churches are pretty good at responding to tragedy and crisis when it strikes internally to the fellowship.
But I want to commend those churches who can see beyond the membership to the needs of their neighbors, and who dare to act in an instant. Before an official meeting can be held to vote on anything, before the budget can be amended - some churches just rise to the moment, and respond. They break the lock on the kitchen door if necessary.
Please don't misunderstand - there is much that churches can do besides cooking - both acts of mercy and justice advocacy - but when crisis hits quickly, it takes time to figure all that out. And until then, when people are in the shock of crisis, fire up the stove in the church kitchen and make dinner! And invite everyone to the feast!
Epiphany Blessings to all!
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