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Food for the Journey
“Man is a hungry being.” Thus, the great Orthodox theologian, Alexander Schmemann begins his book, For the Life of the World. He is trying to destroy both the those who spiritualize the material world and also those who see the material world as all there is. He goes to Genesis for this and looks at Adam, born with hunger—he has to eat to live. But he is also hungry for something more—someone like him to share the bread with. Indeed, we are born into this world screaming, both for food and affection.
This week we see Paul hungry, as well. We are not used to that, some might even think that unseemly or demeaning. Paul is the leader; he started the church-planting movement that, centuries later, St. Patrick finds itself a part of. He is controlled, effective, focused, and gets it done. We don’t think of Paul as, well, “needy.” And yet for seventeen verses in our text, we see Paul not ministering to, but being ministered to! He is hungry, ravenous. He knows suffering awaits him in Jerusalem, and what does he do? How is he sustained? What is the food for the journey he needs?
In a word, hospitality. Paul is literally a stranger to some of the places he goes, but again and again he is met with a place to stay, food for his hungry belly, and food for his soul—in people who, in a matter of days, go from being strangers to family. This Sunday, we see hospitality in action as we welcome a bunch of people who not long ago were strangers to us; but over time they have become family, and we are making room in our hearts and home for them. We will flesh out what we see in our text through a service of vow-taking and oath-making. It is all rather glorious.
Before that, however, we will feast tomorrow on ditch bugs, shrimp, and hot dogs for the uninitiated. If you have not learned the sophisticated art of eating crawfish, we do have lesser fare until you find delight is this most lowly and delicious crustacean. A weekend of feasting, in body and soul—truly food for the journey…
Blessings,
Jim