Let's start eating!!

“Nobody liberates anybody. People find freedom in communion.”- Rubem Alves

When I first read this quotation, it stopped me dead me in my tracks. Rarely is it that you find a single sentence that can cut so deeply to the heart of your theology like this sentence does for me. What it means to be human, made in the image of God, what it means to participate in the work of the kingdom of God on earth, what it means to be in mission- all wrapped up in 8 words (in English that is). Freedom is found in each other, in community. We can’t liberate ourselves no matter how hard we try- that’s why we all are in need of grace. And we can’t liberate others, which is why traditional models of mission are so complicated and tricky. What would the history of the world look like today if when the Portuguese arrived in Brazil, instead of seeing a people they needed to “liberate” (or kill if they didn’t want to be liberated) and a land rich for exploitation, they saw a people with a rich history and tradition, a piece of God’s creation where God had already been present and at work since the beginning of time? What if they had seen their own liberation through the dark eyes of this new strange other looking back at them? Perhaps things would look a lot different in the world today. 

This isn’t to say I didn’t wish I could liberate myself (or others for that matter). When I see the pain of the world reflected in the eyes of people I love, when I see systemic injustices that fall down and crush human life and hope in fires in favelas that are coincidentally located in prime real estate property, when I see people unable to stop self destructive patterns that they themselves recognize. I wish I had the power to liberate them. I wish. I wish it were as easy for me to take off my own chains as well. The ones I find so easy to put on in the first place. But unfortunately, I can’t. Liberation doesn’t come easily. 

But there is good news to be found in Alves’ words: freedom in communion. What exactly could that look like? A few weeks ago we were having lunch at the home of one of our church members. As we set the table we realized that there were nine of us who would be eating and the table only fit six. My first thought was- fine. Some people can eat in the kitchen, or fix their plates and eat in the living room. But instead of dividing the table, we manipulated, squeezed, pushed, and reorganized so that everyone could have a place at the table. And the lunch that followed was a delight. If even one person had not been present, it wouldn’t have been the same. The conversation was full of joy and laughter and the food was abundant and plentiful. Perhaps there is something to be learned from making room at the table. Perhaps finding freedom in communion involves rearranging things in our lives to make room for others. Perhaps it means giving a voice to the voiceless, inviting someone to sit at your table that you don’t like or you disagree with. If we truly find freedom in communion, we have to be open to eat with all people. Jesus knew what he was doing when he specifically chose to dine with those at the margins of society. Perhaps we would be wise to follow his example.   

It seems to me interesting that in the Lord’s prayer, the line “thy kingdom come, thy will be done” is followed immediately by the line “give us this day our daily bread”. It seems then, that there is something about the kingdom of God, the will of God, that is intimately connected to sharing bread, sustenance, food, life. And I think it is also interesting that the words “me” and “my” occur nowhere in the prayer. This tells me that the kingdom of God is not about “me” being satisfied. It is about “us” having enough. God’s will is not complete until “we”- all of humanity- are fed, clothed, housed, and have access to abundant life. God’s will is not complete until people stop hoarding and exploiting resources for tomorrow out of greed and fear and start living for today. It will not happen until we take the risks to sit with each other, to look into the eyes of people who are different than us, and recognize our common humanity, recognize that our own freedom comes in living life for other people and giving up pieces of our lives so that all may have life. Freedom in communion. As Milton Schwantes said, “Eucharist is a means of economics. If we don’t eat bread that is shared bread, it will all be over.” *

*Milton Schwantes, Figuras e Coisas, 40.