• Table •
Spirituality
Michael Smith has been a farm kid, horticulturalist, pastor, property
manager and Global Interaction cross-cultural worker in Thailand.
He shares how his understanding of hospitality has been shaped by
his Mum and Dad, Jesus, a Thai woman, colleagues and community
members at Metford Community Baptist Church in NSW.
G
rowing up I developed a love for
hospitality through the example
of my parents. Rarely a Sunday
went by where there were not guests
at our dinner table and cooking at
youth camps was also a regular event.
Hospitality has been a big part of my
married life and my family has been
enriched by the stories, prayers and
conversations shared around our table.
So I was excited when I had the
opportunity to study a theological
college subject about ‘Table Spirituality’,
which is the very ordinary, routine, daily
activity of eating and suggests that
eating is a spiritual act that should be
focused on hospitality, community
and mission. As I read through the
Gospels I am struck by how central it is
in Jesus’ ministry. For example, as Jesus
eats the Passover meal He introduces
communion to His disciples. Communion
demonstrates the hospitality of God
much more clearly than any other meal
in the Bible. God sent his Son so that
we might be in relationship with Him –
communion with God!
resonate · issue 29 · page 4
Another story I find challenging is
when Jesus goes to eat at the house
of Simon the Pharisee. Simon neglects
his duty as host in offering hospitality
to a guest. He doesn’t even provide
the basic courtesies of greeting and
foot washing (what was he thinking?).
However, a lady described as a sinner
washes Jesus feet with her tears,
dries them with her hair and kisses
them repeatedly. In return, the women
receives Jesus hospitality but Simon
misses out. Jesus neither judges nor
rejects the women. He offers her
unbounded hospitality.
Jesus repeatedly displays hospitality
and shows us the importance of
allowing outsiders to experience
God’s hospitality offered without
constraint. There is no judgement –
just a meeting of people where
they are.
This is an important point for me as
I consider how I can offer hospitality
to those who do not know God. Do I
create conditions and rules that must
be met first or do I meet people with
grace, mercy and compassion?
It is costly to extend God’s hospitality
to others and I need to ask if I am
prepared to pay the price. Extending
hospitality always comes with risk.
As I reflect on my ministry in Thailand,
there were times when table spirituality
was particularly important and my
faith was both uplifted and challenged.
When my family first moved there we
were living in a small rural community
with two other Global Interaction
couples. We were the only foreigners
in the area. During the first week, our
neighbours invited us to celebrate
the New Year with them. We had
doubts about accepting the invitation
because we didn’t have enough
language, we didn’t know how to act
appropriately and we were fearful that
we would say the wrong thing and
make fools of ourselves. However, we
remembered the example of Jesus
and acknowledged that through
participation in hospitality community
would be formed and mission would be
possible. We went on to build a close
relationship with our neighbour and she
was invaluable in helping us understand
our local community. We had many
opportunities to share the Good News
of Jesus with her.