Congregational weddings seem to be like the proverbial bus – none for ages and then they all come at once. This year, we’ve celebrated with Anna and Matt, Sarah and Romeo, Rachel and Aidan and this week, Angela and James. We’ve had plenty of other celebrations too and today sees the baptism of Sara and Isha, the 10th wedding anniversary of their parents Tim and Priya and a big birthday for their grandmother Helen. As it’s St Martin’s, there will be cake!
Eating together is a key part of life (and some of us are still not back to as we were before covid) and celebrating around a meal is normal in all cultures. Sharing food with the disciples was important to Jesus both before and after the resurrection. Those at Emmaus recognised Jesus as he broke bread for them, and I pray that we will have seen something of Jesus at the Eucharist this morning. The meal with the Sunday International Group is now an established place where those who host encounter Jesus in the guest.
My childhood memories of food are of delicious home-cooked food punctuated by my mother trying to encourage us to eat different things. At times, in exasperation, mum would say ‘eat all your food, there are people starving’ to which my brother would retort ‘well, give me an envelope, and I’ll put it in the post to them’.
Today also marks the start of Christian Aid Week. How do we square eating so well at home when many millions are starving in Gaza, Haiti, Tigray, Sudan, Burundi and countless other places? Providing a meal for someone is a wonderful act of love. So, let’s keep on showing love – to those near us and to those afar. And as the writer to the Hebrews puts it: ‘Do not forget to entertain strangers, for in doing so, some have been entertaining angels unawares.’
Jeff Claxton
