Today I had the blessing of going out to lunch with three Haitian seminarians. We all went to a Mexican restaurant (picture this: one lanky white dude and three Haitians eating Mexican food. That’s a cross-cultural experience in itself.) As the conversation progressed, I realized that we were not just eating burritos and enchiladas; there was Something moving among us during the course of our meal.
The Holy Eucharist that we celebrate in our churches is often divorced from this symbolism of having a meal together. But really, that’s what it is. The people of God intentionally gather to share a simple meal with another and to remember the great mercies of Jesus Christ. And though those elements of bread and wine are symbolic of that original meal that Jesus shared with his disciples, what’s so different about some refried beans and chile rellenos?
Not much really. The four of us were celebrating the Eucharist. We shared our faith and broke tortillas together. My eyes were definitely opened, my faith was strengthened by these three Haitians and their witness to the love of God despite the overwhelming pain of their homeland.
This disciple knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the tortilla chip.
the rev. jimmy abbott 