The Sacred Table

When I was at Southern Adventist University, I volunteered for an evangelistic series with It Is Written. John Bradshaw was the keynote speaker. On opening night, the venue was packed. There was music, testimonies, and the preaching of God’s Word.

During the program, interviews were conducted. The first person interviewed was a local police officer. He talked about faith, career, and community safety. But then he said something that caught everyone off guard: one of the best ways to lower crime in a community is simple family dinners.

Think about that. The solution wasn’t more officers, more weapons, or more restrictions. It was something as ordinary—and sacred—as a meal around the table, without distractions.

In the Gospels, some of my favorite scenes are of Jesus at the dinner table. The Son of God, the Creator of the universe, reclining at a meal with people He loved—even those others rejected. Luke 7:34 says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking.” It’s almost as if God was showing us that meals are ministry.

As Filipinos, we know this well. Our tables are places of laughter, storytelling, and hospitality. Food disarms us. It softens hearts. It lowers weapons of hostility. At the table, people are seen, heard, and valued.

In our chaotic, ever-spinning world, one of the most countercultural and Christlike things we can do is to reclaim the family dinner. Invite those you love. Invite those you want to minister to. Because when we come to the table, it’s not just food we’re sharing—it’s grace.

Simple. Sacred. Transformative. And maybe, just maybe, the very thing that could make our cities better.

Pastor Rhidge Garcia