Featuring Naomi Chua, CEO of Embrace Sanctuary Australia, who help local communities welcome refugees.
Linocut printed with water-based ink on paper
Looking towards the Future Feast we see glimpses of an endless table – one that welcomes everyone, however unlikely, and extends into Eternity. We see Eden restored – full of abundance and flourishing life. For now, as we wait, we are invited still to come to this table; to take our seat and invite others to take theirs, too.
Here, right at the end of the Bible we have another image of a table. Not just any table…but a lavish celebration of generous hospitality. A marriage feast. Weddings are such joyous occasions. The invited are recipients of abundant grace. No-one earns their place at the table, no-one can buy their place, the invitation is a gift and a blessing. There has been much preparation and anticipation of this moment, the ‘bride has made herself ready… Clothed with fine linen, bright and pure…the fine linen being the righteous deeds of the saints.’ (Revelation 19:7-8). Here we have a picture of restoration, of fulfilment, of all things made new. What are these ‘righteous deeds of the saints’? Micah 6:8 tells us: ‘What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’
This marriage feast is the very tangible embodiment of the new upside-down kingdom. It is a glimpse of the new world, an unexpected gathering with unlikely guests. This season of Lent is an invitation to pause and embody this vision. It is an invitation to shift our priorities and shape how we gather around tables now. It is understanding that to embody this taste of the new kingdom involves us literally inviting people to our tables, it requires presence in others’ lives, listening to them, not turning away from their suffering and experiences. It calls for a posture of humility to connect with others, often pushed outside of our comfort zones, to be open and to be curious. It is a call for us to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.
Go out from this table, O people of God, and carry the feast with you. May the vision of the marriage supper inspire each step you take as you do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. When you gather at tables great and small, may your hospitality be radical and your welcome sincere. May your presence in the lives of others bring a taste of the coming restoration. And the blessing of the God of the Feast – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – be with you always. Amen.
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