The October 7 issue of "Christian Century" has an article about ministers who celebrate the Lord's Supper at Friendship Park, a border area south of San Diego. The atricle says for generations, people have come to this place to visit family and friends on the other side of the border. Because of the war on terror, this place is changing.On June 1st of this year, in a protest to the government policies, restrictions on the park and even its planned demolition, several area ministers have begun celebrating "a love feast" in the park, passing the elements through the fence. (A love feast was celebrated instead of the Lord's Supper so that the liturgical issues of different denominational interpretations of the meal could be set aside.)
Before this service, the Border Patrol told the people not to pass the elements through the fence. Doing so would be considered a customs violation.
It's about time we figured out how dangerous the Lord's Supper is. (No,my tongue is not in my cheek.) Regardless of how you believe the elements consecrate, we all believe that Christ said "this is my body and this is my blood," and we take and eat this feast until he comes again.
We believe Christ gave this meal to his disciples and to the world to fortify and build the Body of Christ, the Church Universal, to continue the work of God in the world. Our boundries are not His boundries. Jesus demands we reach across to all barriers, physical and otherwise, to do what he did, what he saw the Father doing.
This is dangerous stuff and the government says so. I say it is dangerous too, but not for the same reason. The eucharist builds the Body of Christ to transcend politics and religion--to make the world and the heart a holy place.
Chesterton tells a similar story about attending a dinner with a diverse group of guests, many of whom defined themelves as "radicals." One guest described that she was a witch, another that he worshipped trees, another that he was a Communist, another that he was an anarchist, and so on. All these introductions were met with smiles and acceptance.
ReplyDeleteThe last fellow in the group introduced himself as a "Christian and grateful follower of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Master." The others in the group fled the room as if it were on fire. Chesterton asks, "Who's the real radical?"
I'm sending your posting around to a few pals. They will be glad to read it.