Thankful for Christ’s Big Banquet Table
Originally published 11/25/15
Revised and published 11/23/2021
By Christina Forrester
As I thought about the things we as a community should be most thankful for this year, I thought about things like Democratic leaders and people all throughout the country with conviction in their hearts willing to fight for the vulnerable, about the fact that instead of what we still had at this time last year, we can now look at President Biden and Vice President Harris and see the stark contrast from the politics of fear and exclusion we were exposed to for too many years. However, we also see the work is far from over and there is so much that is happening in our country right now that fills our hearts with sadness, fear of what might be coming, and a sense of injustice. Despite these truths, this Thanksgiving let us not allow hate and fear win – giving our hearts a moment instead to dwell in and show mercy and compassion, in our words, prayers and action.
Luke 14:12-14 says: “Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’”
Then in Matthew 22:8, when the king had invited all the VIP guests and been rejected, he ordered his servants to go and get the people in the streets: “And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.”
I don’t know what it might look like at your Thanksgiving table, at your church, places of business, in your family…but at Christ’s banquet table no one is looking at color, ethnicity, class, partisanship, refugee or immigration status, sexual orientation or gender. There is room enough at His table for all, and those who do not make room in their own hearts for the least of these, the marginalized or outcast, are not living in Him and abiding in Him. So on Thanksgiving this year, let’s give thanks for just how big His table is.
We at CDA are also so thankful for all of you and your support in this movement! Thankful we are not alone in the fight for social justice, for speaking truth in love and becoming a voice to counter the negativity being spoken in God’s name. If your table is not inclusive as described above, we invite you to join us in our Christians Against Hate group, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and connect to a community. You are not alone.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Christina Forrester is Executive Director and Founder of Christian Democrats of America. @Christinaof9
Excellent blog! This captures, so well, the spirit of Thanksgiving and the values we share as children of God! Thank you for this wonderful, pure perspective!
I just found the site!!!! What a joy and inspiration. As a Christian myself, I find myself being told my views aren’t very Christian. However, when I read God’s word, I know in my soul that I am. It’s so great to find a group of people who want to help change the world for God. I can’t wait to read more and more. So excited that there are fellow believers who don’t think you have to vote republican in order to be a Christian! Praise God for this organization!!! My heart is jumping for joy!!!