Advent Devotion: December 13, 2024
A Place at the Table
by Jackson Ringley
Scripture – Luke 53-55 (NRSVue)
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Reflection
When I started working at Asheville Youth Mission in the summer of 2021, I ate a lot of good food. Like, so much good food. Sure, some of it had to do with being in Asheville, a notorious food city with great cuisine on every corner, but I wasn’t eating in restaurants very often. Instead, I had some of the best and most memorable meals at Haywood Street Congregation, a church for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Every Wednesday at Haywood Street, folks from across the Asheville area gather for a meal, and there is always more than enough to go around. People from the entire socioeconomic spectrum partake in the breaking of bread together, delighting in mac and cheese, fried chicken, and all sorts of locally grown fruits and veggies. We are nourished by the food before us and the people around us. It’s one of the few places I believe I’ve really glimpsed the kingdom of God. The very real need for food unites us.
Many Christians try to spiritualize the language of hunger and thirst in the Bible, neglecting the pressing material needs present in the text. In Mary’s words above, she illuminates the feeding of the hungry as an important intervention God makes through Jesus. It’s not just about spirituality, though that certainly is part of it. It’s about helping people meet their material needs as an important part of the Christian life. At Haywood Street, we see an example of how this takes place in a community of Christ followers, where all who come will be fed.
A Place at the Table
by Jackson Ringley
Scripture – Luke 53-55 (NRSVue)
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Reflection
When I started working at Asheville Youth Mission in the summer of 2021, I ate a lot of good food. Like, so much good food. Sure, some of it had to do with being in Asheville, a notorious food city with great cuisine on every corner, but I wasn’t eating in restaurants very often. Instead, I had some of the best and most memorable meals at Haywood Street Congregation, a church for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Every Wednesday at Haywood Street, folks from across the Asheville area gather for a meal, and there is always more than enough to go around. People from the entire socioeconomic spectrum partake in the breaking of bread together, delighting in mac and cheese, fried chicken, and all sorts of locally grown fruits and veggies. We are nourished by the food before us and the people around us. It’s one of the few places I believe I’ve really glimpsed the kingdom of God. The very real need for food unites us.
Many Christians try to spiritualize the language of hunger and thirst in the Bible, neglecting the pressing material needs present in the text. In Mary’s words above, she illuminates the feeding of the hungry as an important intervention God makes through Jesus. It’s not just about spirituality, though that certainly is part of it. It’s about helping people meet their material needs as an important part of the Christian life. At Haywood Street, we see an example of how this takes place in a community of Christ followers, where all who come will be fed.
