The Importance of the Meal: Part One

Dirt was astounded years ago when he heard of many people that were seeking to heal the wounds of September eleventh, two-thousand one, by getting together for a shared meal with neighbors and friends.  New Yorkers, who before had not been much for neighborly meals, were talking strongly about how they were finding themselves looking to share meals together with those they felt were in their community.  And how it was truly helping.

He was surprised, for though he knew that meals were important, and that as Christians we are called to share in a meal with fellow believers, here were people outside of that context reaffirming a truth from our Creator.  Sharing a meal brings people together unlike anything else. 

The binding and healing of a shared meal is universal and is often rediscovered by those amidst a crisis or enjoying a celebration.  A meal at a wedding isn’t just a good thing because you get something substantial for your offering of a gift but that the meal, well offered and well received, brings those participating closer together, highlighting their community.

The meal is good.  Dirt feels strongly about shared meals. To the point of desiring that we share more meals, that we share more with more, expand our community in meal sharing. 

He feels strongly that God be given thanks and openly at meals. 

But all that came together for us having a pulling up short recently.

Recently in a group of acquaintances and nearly strangers, about to share a meal together, Dirt desired to call for someone, anyone, in the group to offer a blessing for the meal.  It fell apart, no one responded, and many appeared uneasy.

As we talked later and went to Scripture, we found the key. 

Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”

If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. 1Corinthians 10:19-29

Dirt and I talked and the more we talked and the more we read, we saw that no matter that Dirt sees everything is the Lord’s so it is to Him we give thanks and attribute our lives to, and no matter that we see meals no less so and all meal then are His to thank for, not everyone will see it that way.  If a person who does not believe in God or Christ as we do, gave a blessing of sacrifice for the meal to some god, and we openly ate that meal, it could have poor consequence for the unbeliever or the young believer.  Better to, “eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.”