On Spiritual Family: At The Dining Table

And all that believed were together, and had all things a common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had a need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and by singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:44-47

In 1992, I was converted into true Christianity in the campus ministry. The campus disciples were so bonded that it's hard to bid goodbye from one another when dismissal hour comes. I asked my leader what could be the element that we couldn't easily identify which made our relationship so bonded like that. And he showed me Acts 2:44-47. It was then that I realized, we had things in common (of course not the toothbrush!). We always share our things to one other, school supplies, perfumes, books and others. There are times that one of us will come to school, not a single coin in pocket for transportation fare. We usually chip-in and give it to the needy brother or sister. And at meal time, we tend to pool-in our allowances, go to the school cafeteria and share lunch together. So those who had nothing will be as equally satisfied as those who dropped penny into the hat. The fact that we are having our lunch together gave us the chance to know one another at best and deal with one another according to his personality. And we developed a strong harmony that binds us together as disciples.

At home, we encourage all members to be present at the dining table every meal time, to where we can share pleasantries, funny anecdotes and significant experiences of the day, latest news, concerns in the school and at work, new discoveries and knowledge, and many others. The interests and personality of each family member is being captured while savoring mother's menu through table interactions, thus create closeness. It's also the time we can pray together and thank God for all the blessings we enjoyed all throughout the day. Infront of the table, we were being taught how to share, care, respect, act with modesty and deliberately, spend time wisely, and many more things. In front of the table, great virtues are formed.

I usually put my observing spectacles on my two daughters while they are taking their dinner. I notice that they don’t share much stories anywhere as much as they do infront of the table. They are usually noisy, laughing, cheering, singing together and everything. They also correct each other at the wrong choice of words they utter, or they talk about good acts, and persons they admire in the class, school bus or an artist in the television. And sometimes, they argue. Good that I am there to teach and guide them. Learning good etiquette comes spontaneously to them and every time we sit infront of the table, they learn new things.
Everyone loves eating. We serve food in every occasion. But there’s more than just eating. Dining is a celebration of God’s blessing. It is a show of thanksgiving and merriment. A party is no party without dining. Opportunity of relationship building comes in a party, while we altogether feast on the bountiful food served at the table. It is a time for fellowshipping with our relatives and friends whom we did not meet for long. In a party, a friendship sprouts, a familial tie strengthens, an enmity ends, learning is acquired, emotional and social skill is developed.

In God’s Family, the Church, we can always apply this practice. It's a fun to invite brothers and sisters to spend weekend with us and enjoy great dinner together. Like the first century Christian, we too can enjoy great family relationships by “Breaking Bread Together”. Or, we don’t need to be so festive. Just a sip of coffee together can bring closer relationships among brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of God.