It’s interesting how the memory of eating a favorite dish from childhood can take you back. And it’s even more precious because not only are we reminded of the meal, but also of the individual who prepared it and with whom we shared it.
At the grocery store recently, I tried to recall my Aunt Betty’s potato salad’s ingredients. This dish was served in the backyard when we went to her house to celebrate the July 4th holiday. Her salad, with sour cream, sans mustard, ruined me for store bought potato salad since.
A meal is central to our relationships. Communion is central to our faith. It connects us to the saints and all who share this common meal during worship. It can even connect us to people who believe differently than us–because we are truly one body in Christ.
A simple meal can connect us to those who are no longer with us. And it can also continue to live with us today, helping us to stay connected to the one who gives us life.
This message is excerpted from “Hankering for connection” by Elizabeth McBride from the October 6, 2016, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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