Sharing a meal is one of the most wonderful things humans can do with one another. My entire childhood is filled with memories of going to the homes of my grandparents and aunts/uncles for a big, family get-together that included a meal. Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were the big three. Kids get older and form families of their own. The get-togethers, as I knew them, eventually ended. We still put together a big, family reunion in August though, and it is always a lot of fun, but it is not the same. Things change, and the older we get, we are able to look back at the “last time” of something. The last time there was a family vacation. The last time pizza was had from that joint in New York. The last time I saw my best friend. The last time I heard my grandmother’s voice. Part of life is wrestling and living with all of the “last times”.
I have always liked Maundy Thursday. I was happy to see the devotion schedule line up that way for me. Jesus is giving his disciples one last evening together before reality sets in on Good Friday. I love that they shared a meal together. By now, you have probably realized that I am obsessed with the concept of time. Part of what makes sharing a meal with others so magical is that it really tests the boundaries of time. You have to take control of time to make a good meal happen. There are plenty of other examples of this, but today is Maundy Thursday, so sharing a meal is the setup.
How many times do we not follow through with something, or even begin, because we tell ourselves we do not have the time? The answer is we do it all the time! In truth, it is almost impossible to live in a way that abandons the realities of time. Still, we have to keep pushing and take control of time whenever we can. The more it is on our mind and part of our intention, the more it becomes part of our natural rhythm.
Take the time to recognize that every moment becomes a memory. Take the time to live in a way that relishes the uniqueness of your existence and history. Take the time to wonder at the fact that you are on a large, spherical rock, hurling around a giant ball of gas and flame in a solar system that is part of an even larger galaxy, that is part of an infinite and, apparently, expanding universe. I am in a privileged position because my daily life is full of enough comforts and securities to allow me to ponder as many big questions as I want to. All I want to do is share that with others and lift them up, so we can geek out about time and space. I want the other’s perspective. I want their way of life, their struggles, to hit me like a wave.
Take time to be holy and to see the holy in others. Take time for death. Take time for resurrection. No one stays the same. Allow the wellspring of change that is inside to overflow, and be there for others in the midst of change. Cheer them on!
Go, human, go!
Adam
