World Communion Sunday

Well, here we are in October, the month of homecomings and Halloween. Somewhat lost at times is World Communion Sunday. Unlike homecoming, where we are reminded how much older we are and hopefully wiser; or Halloween, which simply leaves empty spaces in teeth that use to have fillings; World Communion Sunday reminds us that we all belong to each other globally. In Christ the old has past, the new has come, and packaged with that newness is awareness that in Christ we all belong to each other. The old ways of defining ourselves sexually or socially are now transformed. Even gender passes away from defining us. All the categories take second to our being One in Christ.

The 23rd Psalm suggests this, with these words: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” The realism of God’s joy strikes again. There’s no pretending that you and I don’t have enemies. But think about this. There’s no suggestion that my enemies are God’s enemies. There’s no suggestion, in fact, that God has enemies at all. Think about that for a moment: God has no enemies. We do; God doesn’t. Is Judas Jesus’ enemy? Is Pilate? Is Caiaphas? No. And they were the ones who got Jesus killed. God has no enemies. How does God deal with our enemies? He sets a table before them and before us. That’s what it says. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

For Christians, it’s impossible not to see this table as a Eucharistic table and the food on the table as the body of Christ, the bread of life given to reconcile us to one another by reconciling us to God. That’s what God does in heaven; he prepares the tastiest banquet ever known, and the appetizing smells waft down to earth, and there’s only one thing holding us back from sitting down to eat forever. And that’s the fear of who else might be there. Let us have this mind that was in Christ as we think globally this Sunday as we remember that a table has been set, everyone is invited.