Invitations to the table come without conditions. Hunger, not worthiness, opens the door. Those often excluded—crippled, lame, blind—are the first to be welcomed. This is what God’s kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy or good, but because they are hungry, because they said yes. The gospel calls for a table where outcasts gather, not because of status but because they accept the invitation. The work of hospitality is not about keeping certain people out; it is about breaking down walls and filling every seat. The presence of Christ is found in shared bread and wine, offered freely. No one should wait to meet Christ elsewhere while hunger remains. The table belongs to Christ, not any group or denomination. The call is clear: extend the invitation again and again to those longing for sustenance and community.
May the invitation of Christ’s table
open every heart to welcome the hungry, the outcast, and the willing,
filling our lives with grace and belonging.
(inspired by Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday; Sara Miles, Take This Bread)