The Love Feast

When heaven comes crashing into earth it truly demonstrates to those around that God's vision is becoming a reality for the creation story. These cosmic events are a prelude to God's kingdom coming to earth as in heaven and we who are able to see it happen, can become encouraged and renewed once again to join in the revolution. It is the sunrise of the morning horizon which brings light to a world covered in darkness, illuminating everything around us. Restoration and redemption are beckoning us to be resistor's of the broken promises of old creation that says we are mere products of our circumstances.

Yesterday, I was able to watch the body of Christ enacted through a community of believers who truly believe that love wins. Amidst the backdrop of a holiday marked by gluttony and consumerism, stands a body of Christ followers who are searching out to find the marginalized, hungry, and poor. One Community Church whose philosophy states that they are to "love without agenda" hosted the local community in a "Love Feast" on November 30^th. I saw faces that looked like Jesus everywhere around me. Smiles, laughter, joy, and pure love without condition flowed from these Christ followers. It seemed that everyone was watching the door in anticipation for the next person that walked in, so they could shower them with love. As people walked through the door, everyone seemed to jump up out of their seats and want to serve them.

Paul Dudley, the pastor of the church, gave me a tour of the facilities and casted his vision. The church meets in an old furniture store below an abandoned theater. This large space looked less like a traditional church with Sunday school rooms and more like a community center. From future career centers to give away garage sales, each room had a function that served a purpose to help love and serve the community.

After dinner, one of the ladies from the church got up and told her story. The story told of her life and experiences; of brokenness and redemption, and how she was bringing heaven to earth with her career and her life. She is a new kind of beautician, who takes a day out of the week to provide her services for free to local ladies who can't afford to pay. Her story not only demonstrated God's redemption of her life, but what she herself was doing to bring that love and redemption to others. Her love is extraordinary and her service of others is remarkable.

Afterwards spontaneously, a man stood up and walked towards the front. He told a little bit about his life and how his daughter was murdered. He spoke of how Jesus had changed his life and how this community had demonstrated to him God's perfect love. With an amazing voice, he sang of God's Amazing Grace which moved many in the room to tears, including myself.

This Thanksgiving holiday will go down for me as one of the greatest. This community took a holiday that propagates selfishness and overcame it with good. I wonder if more people would take initiative in creative redemption how this world would start looking more like God's vision?