JESUS YOUTH | KAIROS GLOBAL | DECEMBER 2021

Author: Dr Edward Edezhath

The joy of eating together builds community 

‘One of my unforgettable memories is our post-meeting “dosa fellowship”’. We had this online gathering in connection with the 45th anniversary of our prayer group and several people recalled our unforgettable fraternal meals.

One of the secrets of intimacy and continuity of our joy-filled fellowship was, I think, certain food-related rituals we had. The ‘dosa fellowship’ was one of them. On Wednesday evenings after prayer and fellowship many would go together to a nearby restaurant. Those ‘dosa gatherings’ were occasions to get to know one another in a very intimate way. Decades later most people still cherish those joyful memories. Then, at times Nishi and Augustine would bring snacks so that those who’d come directly from colleges and offices could have a quick bite and drink before prayer began. Special celebrations like birthdays were yet another regular affair and Christmas and picnic times would top them all.

Fellowship building, the Jesus Youth way

Many early leaders of the movement remember the monthly weekend gatherings of First Line Group at Snehanilayam – a school for mentally challenged children run by sisters, in Ernakulam¹. The place was most suited for us to gather, cook and eat together and to share and reflect. Though we gathered month after month to talk about how in each zone we had been building a youth network, they were not mere planning sessions, but deep fellowship occasions. 

There, in a way, we learned how preparing food together and joyfully sharing it builds a community. The food was mostly quite simple, but the friendly interaction and laughter made it so delicious. There were 14 Jesus Youth zones in those days. A very good outflow was that members of the First Line went and initiated Zonal Sharing Groups. Those groups also gathered for weekends and underwent formation which included input sessions and staying together. In most places they were replicating the First-Line mode of preparing food by themselves and partaking of it joyfully. 

One unbelievable development from these simple styles was the way in which larger youth gatherings were organised by Jesus Youth. Even when hundreds or thousands of youths gathered for a four or five day convention, young people themselves would prepare food and serve it. Teams from the Idukki² zone were famous for it. This would change the whole approach and spirit of JY gatherings.

For Jesus, eating together was very special

The Gospels mention many occasions of Jesus and his close friends eating together. He readily responded to invitations to dine together at formal feasts as well as in private homes. There were occasions when Jesus himself prepared food and served it to his disciples. When the crowd that came to listen to Jesus were hungry the Lord asked his close followers, ‘you find food for them’. Jesus was eager to provide food for the hungry and to have meals of togetherness and companionship.

‘Man does not live by bread alone’ and so living one’s life just for eating or doing all work only to earn food is not the plan of God. And the Kingdom of God is not ‘eating and drinking’ (Romans 14:17) or discussing what to eat and what not to eat. But eating can be a very beautiful way of building friendship as Martha and Mary understood and as Jesus told Zacchaeus (Luke 19:5). Probably for the people the joy of eating together was a matter of satisfying physical hunger, but for the Lord and those who knew the secrets of the Kingdom, it is a way of deep fellowship of the spirit, mind and body, and a precursor of the great heavenly feast (Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 19:9).

The best way is to share, pray and eat together 

Fr. Patrick Peyton's saying, ‘The family that prays together stays together’ has been complemented recently with ‘The family that eats together stays together’. Pope Francis has been emphasising the importance of eating together as a family. 

In Jesus Youth praying and eating together and thus building the Kingdom of God has been taking a variety of forms:

JY student groups in Ernakulam started daily lunch-packet distribution in the early 1990s. Every day few students would take the 50 lunch packets to the nearby government hospital and distribute them to the needy. Finding a sponsor for each day, packing food, carrying it to the needy and so on built up an active community around this initiative. 

A monthly informal ‘Kanji group’ in our area used to gather anyone willing to join an evening of chit-chat, prayer and simple food at one of the houses. This became a good place to invite new youth to taste the joy of Jesus Youth culture.

In a Bangalore² restaurant, I once partook of a meal with a big difference. Joby, an active JY, started using regular city restaurants as a place for Christian fellowship and evangelistic welcoming. 

In many cities around the world, JY youth stay together and welcome others to join a meal, making it a time of joyful interaction and prayer as well.

Jesus Youth families often become excellent abodes of joyful eating and building of local Christian fellowship. I have seen the Lord using especially many women quite powerfully for this ministry of food-sharing to build the body of Christ. 

Finally,

It is no surprise that Jesus wanted himself and his great mission remembered always through a memorial eating time. The Lord wanted us to continue on the same path until we reach the eternal feast with the Holy Trinity and all the angels and saints. May we continue to have more and more memorable occasions to gather with love and joy to partake of the gifts of the Lord with joyful hearts. This is surely one of the best ways to build a Christian on the path of the Lord and to build beautiful communities amidst us.