A seat at the table

• A seat at the table

Philip Yancey is one of my all-time favorite authors. Yancey shared that an alcoholic friend of his once told him: “When I’m late to church, people turn around and stare at me with frowns of disapproval. I get the clear message that I’m not as responsible as they are. When I’m late to AA, the meeting comes to a halt and everyone jumps up to hug and welcome me. They realize that my lateness may be a sign that I almost didn’t make it. When I show up, it proves that my desperate need for them won out over my desperate need for alcohol.”

That quote struck me square between the eyes. How many times have I been judgmental and not welcomed people as they are, where they are, for a seat at the table?

In today’s world, there are billions of people who are perfectly happy doing things their way, staring down at a phone, never engaging one another. Many are searching for a place to be and someone to be with. There are certainly many who have made bad choices feeling as though they could never be accepted.

As Christians, I believe it is up to us to intentionally keep our eyes and hearts open for those who have needs. They can be found at the workplace, grocery stores, and waiting room at the doctor’s office. Young and old, rich and poor, all races and cultures, there are seekers for a place to be welcome and someone to be with. Their search is for meaning and purpose. Once found, I’m reminded to invite them to a seat at the table – God’s table. We can show them the same love and acceptance we received from Jesus. A kind word, hug and a prayer goes a long way. No matter who they are or what they have done in the past, they should walk away feeling valued and loved, the same way I felt at that wedding. The same way Jesus makes us feel every day in our relationship with Him.

And as for us – we who are blessed and called to that same love feast – we should always be looking for ways to bring others in. We should never forget God’s heart for the outcasts, the forgotten, the marginalized, and the broken (and such were some of us). Luke 14:13 says, “But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.”

There are three things you must be willing to do if you truly want to be great at including others: (1) You must be willing to see people differently; (2) You must risk being seen by people differently; (3) You must be willing to be inconvenienced. It’s worth it.

Keep inviting them, because God’s table is really big!

Debby Efurd is co-founder of Cary John Efurd Ministries of Pittsburg, TX. She has been a contributor to Bound for Life and written numerous articles published in LifeNews, Christian Post and the Baptist Standard, and is the author of Go Tell It!. isit her blog, The Second Mile, at www.debbyefurd. com and contact her by email (caryjohnefurdministries@ gmail.com).