“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18, NIV).
As we celebrate our Canadian Thanksgiving in the month of October, I’ve been pondering the table and how truly significant it is: a gathering place, somewhere to share food, swap stories, be a shoulder to cry on, play games, make plans, and connect.
Somewhere we can show love—one to another.
Some tables are formal fancy and some are shabby chic. Others are square, rectangular, round, wooden, glass, massive, minute, and everything in between.
The thing is, the table is merely an inanimate object until we decide to pull up a chair and be present. Then it becomes a meeting place, full of promise and welcome and nourishment—for body and soul. It’s where we have the opportunity to serve, to feed, to listen. It’s where we practice real love.
Friends, who can we invite to gather around our table this month?
“The heart of hospitality is about creating space for someone to feel seen and heard and loved. It’s about declaring your table a safe zone, a place of warmth and nourishment.”
—Shauna Niequist
