But we know that this isn't where the story ends. We know that, on the third day, Jesus rose again. We know that he conquered sin and death, and in doing so, gave us all eternal salvation. For this we can celebrate!

Before we get to Easter, though, I wanted to take a moment and consider something that is one of the most powerful signs of the humility and love of Jesus. That is that Jesus welcomes ALL at His table. And he washed EVERYONE'S feet. He did these things lovingly and humbly for everyone who was gathered there, including Judas.

I always get caught up in emotions when I think about that. Jesus stooped down to wash the feet of the man who would betray him for money--the one who would help orchestrate his crucifixion. Jesus knew what Judas was going to do and he still washed his feet and welcomed him to the table for the Last Supper. Wow. That three-letter word is the best and only way I know how to sum up this act of humility and love. 

I want us to consider whether or not we welcome ALL to our tables in life. Whether that be for a meal, for helping people, for providing people with services, or just respecting them.  Do we do this? I think the biggest thing is to try to consider as comprehensive a list of what EVERYONE actually means:

To start off, here is a list that encompasses many people, quoted in the Song, "One Bread, One Body" by John Michael Talbot:
- Gentile or Jew
- Servant or Free
- Woman or man
No more! (meaning, we don't look to these differences among our human family in Christ anymore!)

We can also take the time to brainstorm a more comprehensive (although obviously not exhaustive) list with a modern perspective:
- Democrat, Republican, Independent, Socialist, Communist
- US citizen 
- refugee
- people with or without documentation (Remember, God doesn't view anyone as "legal or illegal.")
- people who are LGBTQIA+
- those who are rich
- those who face economic hardships
- those with unique ability status
- people who speak other languages
- people of every race
- people of every ethnicity
- even Yankee fans (a moment of levity, from this Mets fan, but I welcome Yankee's fans, too! )
- Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Jain, Shinto, Pagan, Follower of Tribal Religions, Agnostic, Atheist, or any other Religion

Do we welcome all to our tables in life? I think it's fair to say that we all fail at this every once in a while. We aren't perfect. We can do better! We can help each other to achieve this. As we go through Holy Week, there isn't a better time to do this, either. Humility, kindness, and love are three of the most important virtues in our world. They would solve so many of our modern problems! 

And the best thing is that we have Jesus, the perfect model, to guide us along the way. This Holy Week, let us commit to being more like Him, through humility, kindness, and love. Next time we encounter somebody that we may not agree with, let us take the time to invite them to our tables in life; we would be surprised at how much better our interactions will be with each other if we first welcome and respect each other before even considering any other action! God bless you and yours during this Holy Week and going forward. 

Yours, in Christ,  Joey