In the daily swarm of
meetings, projects, little league games, choir rehearsal, school
fundraisers and just life in general, it is often difficult to get a
meal together, let alone to sit down at the table and
eat as a family. However, these moments at the
dinner table are often the best times to shape the faith of your family,
celebrate diversity and invite God to dinner…or breakfast…or lunch…
Begin your meal by saying thank you to God. It’s a simple way of
introducing theological language and faith experiences to even the
youngest person at the table.
Talk and reflect about the events of the day—close to home and far away.
By observing connections between the day’s events and your faith,
you can help children and youth connect their everyday experiences with
their personal faith, helping them to see its relevance to their lives.
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Make room at the table for others.
Neighbors, friends, family, church members can bring a wealth of diverse viewpoints to your dinner table.
Invite them and allow your family to struggle with what it means
to be fully committed to your faith tradition and open to those who are
different from you.
Your simple Tuesday night dinner can be all the more engaging and
exciting (and encouraging of diversity) by adding a new food to the
menu. With new tastes and flavors come new opportunities for
conversation
about the different ways people eat and the different cultures that
food comes from.
Just because the meal is over doesn’t mean that conversations and stories have to end.
