Jesus said, “Make the people sit down” (John 6:10)

It seems like such a simple command. Sit down. It would be easy to skim right over such an insignificant detail of the story. Let’s stay with it. Sitting down to eat with others can lead to community, getting to know one another, solving disagreements. Or it can mean simply that one is no longer hungry and perhaps has made a new friend.

Sit down and eat. That’s what our Palestinian driver said when he and his family invited several of us volunteers to their home. We enjoyed a delicious meal and wonderful conversation. We learned about each other’s experiences and life goals. I remembered to leave some food on my plate. Earlier my colleagues had warned me of the local custom that if you cleaned your plate, you were still hungry!

“Let’s have a meal where people sit down and eat with each other.” That was the suggestion from a member of the congregation I served in Marquette, Michigan. People often come to pastors with ideas and sometimes they go nowhere. But this idea took off and 20 years later the community meal on the first Wednesday of the month is going strong. Everyone is welcome. No payment is required or even accepted. Everything is handled by volunteers and donations. I like to think that friendships have been forged or strengthened around those tables…and maybe even a few world problems solved!

Before Jesus told the people to sit down, he had a conversation with Philip, one of his disciples. Jesus asked, “Where are we to buy bread for these people?” Jesus had been healing the sick and so many people began following him that the crowd had grown to five thousand! Jesus didn’t ask Philip “if” they should buy bread. Jesus didn’t ask whether the people in the crowd “deserve” the bread or “need” the bread. The plan was to feed the people because they were hungry. Plain and simple.

I know it is a stretch to suggest that sitting down to eat with others can lead to world peace. And who knows what Jesus had in mind other than feeding people on that particular day? But I like to think that of those five thousand people there were a few who shared stories across barriers of gender, age, race, or class.

My faith tells me that we are created in the image of God, redeemed by the cross of Jesus Christ, and empowered by God’s grace to love others. “Sitting down to eat” seems like an invitation not to be refused.

Prayer: Gracious God, you are the bread of life. Help us to invite others to sit down and share bread. Amen.