Breaking Bread

It amazes me how something as simple as a get-together can affect your outlook on life. Most of you know me from the Circle, and that being the case, most of you also know that Ted Dekker just held his second annual convention, called "The Gathering." I was there, along with the four other moderators from Ted's messageboard, and nearly three hundred fans. Credit is due to all the organizers of the event, because it was absolutely spectacular.

But what I really want to focus on is the time that we spent together as a community, or an oddly jointed family. I ended up in Nashville around noon, catching a flight with a fellow moderator Dina. We rented a car and met with a few other friends at a local Panera Bread. The six or seven of us that were there got along terrific and, in fact, it was hard to believe that I had never actually met them in person before. There was none of the awkward first meeting silence.

There is a feeling of significance that comes along with being recognized and sought out by people that live hundreds or thousands of miles away from you. I ran into lots of people that I knew, or that knew me, and exchanged hugs with each one of them.

After all was said and done, about twenty of us went to Macaroni Grill for some much needed dinner. Like many restaurants, they bring bread to your table to tide you over until your order comes. I think it was then that I first realized the power of breaking bread with friends. as a church, we've both over- and under-emphasized the practice. You can't just pass a loaf to the person next to you. It has to make it's way slowly around the table, passing through laughter, spilled drinks, and knowing glances. The bread isn't the object of attention, and neither is the gathering itself. It's each other. The bread might get put down and forgotten about for a few minutes while someone finishes their story about the weirdo that sat next to them on the plane, because finishing that story is important and the bread won't go stale in a quarter of an hour. It isn't whether or not Christ was present in the bread, but that he was present in our midst, dodging those paper spitballs and laughing at the corny jokes, right along with everyone else.

God bless the Circle,