“(Hu) man shall not live by bread alone.” Mess hall not only reminds us the common menu, annoying noise of dashing vessels and people. It also provides space for common intention, the hunger is satisfied. Food is political. Food - the way we eat, the person with whom we eat and what we eat are much bothered by the society that we are live in. Food politics have also saved the chairs of many. Reserved food and reserved chairs reiterate that some are different from other “superior” humans.
Experiencing God in mess hall is a dynamic call to understand God in a public space. Theologically awakened eyes are not necessary to discover God and divine presence in a public sphere. God’s presence cannot be confined only within the walls of the church, but moves in the congested streets, among yelling noise, with dirt around and sweat and odor of the working community.
Food and God’s incursion among people is a common act recorded in Old Testament. Even today we meet God by pleading for God’s presence in the Holy Eucharist. And only then our worship gets fulfilled. God and Food are connected deeply with every walk of our spiritual life. Food is always connected with the divine teachings.
Many a time, God expressed El-Shadai-ness with people’s flourishing Harvest (Malachi 3:6-12). When the disciples of Jesus, after his crucifixion and resurrection could not identify him, he broke the bread to reveal himself (John 21:12-15). A call to consume God is also given to us by Jesus to amalgamate with the divine-hood (Mark 14:22-24). With this mindset it becomes much easier to expose and understand God in Mess Hall.
God in the Mess Hall, as I reflect is by observation from the mess hall of the college where I studied. Apart from food, the act of eating involves certain disciplines that need open eyes to understand its ethos. Simple furnished mess with simple menu unites and energizes every soul that comes with an empty-stomach. Mess hall and the common menu resonates the experience of the liberated Israelite community in the wilderness. The consumption of food played a major part. God provided common food, manna, to the whole community, available in plenty, but could not be stored for the next day (Ps 78:24).
Food in the mess hall related with the starving group of the society who are looking at the hands of the government. Only chose can be regenerated. Nothing has much experience in it. Though the mess hall didn’t put us to experience nothing but helped to understand what simplicity is, how much does sharing costs. Mainly the one pot food “oorulai” carried to the huts of the hidden humanity.
Finally, its true man shall not live by bread alone. The political, social, economical influence of food and the place it’s served and the fellowship constantly plays a vital role in our existence. We eat we exist. Existence involves our attributes to be exposed in the society where we live. Mess hall experience helped us to survive in every circumstance of life.
Mess hall has no terms as my people and other. The tables are for unexpected guests. Mess hall reflects Lord’s Table. Our chef becomes the agent of YHWH – YIREH (God the provider). As apostle Paul writes to the congregation of Corinth “we learned to live in all situations” (2 Corinthians 6:8-11).
The mess hall and the food served there and the labor for food has the power to equip us as the real servants of God to survive in any circumstance as the liberated through all these aspects God can also be realized in mess hall. “Choose life and not luxury”, a servant call for the reign of God.
Prayer
O God of the mess hall, we pray for those who starve in hunger, challenge us to open our mess-doors to those craving for food. Open our hearts to accept all our "dirty" sisters and brothers so we all may eat that one meal we pray for, "give us today our daily bread." Amen.
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Author: A. Evangelin Violet
About the Author: Rev. Evangelin is an ordained minister of the Church of South India - Diocese of Madras. She completed her Bachelor of Divinity at Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, Madurai.
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