The Spirituality of Sharing Meals

What if sharing meals together actually touches the spiritual?

Last night my small community group had a pot luck meal together. Up until then, we watched a video and discussed ideas and personal triumphs and struggles. Last night was simply about breaking bread together. It was a wonderful evening with different stories being shared. We are all different ages with very different backgrounds, but our love for Jesus and a desire for strong community has brought us together.

After we all said goodnight, I found myself pondering the bonds that get stronger by simply sitting with people and sharing a meal. I don’t know what it is about eating together that brings people together, but it’s a timeless ritual that almost always produces results.

Jesus often ate with friends. The Last Supper was shared with his closest friends, the disciples. Even after the resurrection he shared a meal with his disciples. The breaking bread together seemed to be a part of the deep relationship they shared.

There’s a story in the Gospel of Luke, where two of his followers were walking along the road to a place called Emmaus. They were sadly discussing all that had happened with the crucifixion and the women reporting that Jesus had risen. As they were talking, Jesus came up and walked and talked with them. The two men didn’t know it was him.

Even as he explained all that had happened was foretold in the scriptures and how it all came together, they still didn’t know it was Jesus. When the men stopped for the evening and Jesus attempted to keep walking, they “urged him strongly,” to stay with them. He agreed.

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” Luke 24:30-31

Who knows how long they walked together, most of the day, maybe? What was it about sitting together, giving thanks to God and eating together, that opened their eyes?

Perhaps it has to do with the fact that we all have to eat. Our bodies need food to survive. When we eat together; maybe we are acknowledging a need together. When we bow our heads and give thanks together, we are acknowledging that God meets our needs.

Maybe when we take time to sit together and eat together, we share thoughts and feelings. We share our stories and therefore, some of ourselves. Maybe in the sharing, others are able to have their eyes opened and see Jesus in us and we can see Jesus in others.

I don’t have the answers. But, even researchers agree that families who eat meals together are stronger. The kids are less likely to get into trouble and do better in school. What if the answer is actually spiritual? What if the reason that family meals are so important, is that breaking bread together and giving thanks, goes beyond the physical realm and touches the spiritual?

Whatever the reason, maybe we should all make a point to sit with others when we eat and give thanks, instead of eating drive through food in our cars or mindlessly eating in front of the television. We might find that we are pleasantly surprised with the results.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂