October – Week 3

12 Baskets Full

A Welcome Basket

Over the last year, I have been genuinely intrigued by how my entire Christian walk I have never noticed the value food has in the bible: from how sacrifices and festivals in the Old Testament revolved around food to communion and how Jesus explained His crucifixion. 

During level 5 lockdown, I spent a great deal of time studying the Gospels and Acts, and I took note of how this theme seemed to continue to linger around Jesus’ life and in the stories of the disciples in Acts. In Matthew 9:15 and Mark 2:19, we see the story of where Jesus was dining with people, including His disciples, tax collectors and many sinners. At this current time, John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting and couldn’t understand why Jesus wasn’t. Jesus replies that wedding guests don’t fast when the bridegroom is with them, but once He leaves, they will fast. And even though we do read about Jesus fasting, I want to be so bold as to say I think Jesus feasted more than He fasted. Why? Because He knew the gift His life brought with Him – John 10:10; life and life in abundance. 

It is exciting to see how rapidly the church in Acts grew as God added to their number daily while they praised God, broke bread and received their food with glad and generous hearts. [1] We can see food plays such a huge role in bringing people together. Something special happens when a group of people sit around a table, converse, and eat good food. Happy hormones flow from tasty mouthfuls and hearty chats, and where two or more are gathered in His Name, His Spirit is there too. 

Let’s get practical!

From reading Acts 2, I can’t think of a better way to welcome people and make them feel part of a community than eat together? So, let’s get creative with our baskets. 

A Picnic:

A picnic fits perfectly in a basket, and shops nowadays are so organized with bite-sized snacks. Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay, and Woolworths have a variety of food appropriate for a picnic. Products such as fruit salad, mini samosas, frikkadels, falafels, juice boxes, cupcakes, and so much more can be made to cater for a group picnic.

A Themed Dinner:

A themed dinner evening. Have a night where dinner is themed around a particular cuisine. Everyone brings a food basket related to that cuisine, and the table will be decked with all sorts of delicious dishes to choose from and share. An example can be a Greek evening where one can fill your basket with tapas such a hummus, pita bread, stuffed olives, artichokes and tzatziki.

A South African Braai:

Nothing is more South African than a braai. One can organize for different people to bring items that will collate into a flavoursome whole. Your basket could be the salad basket containing a potato bake, traditional Greek salad or slaw. It can be a meat basket whereby you bring steak, boerewors and chicken kebabs. These baskets could then be brought together to cater for a mouth-watering lunch. 

As I said before, whenever people get together and eat, there are evident connections made. So why not organize a meal with friends and invite newcomers too? This will involve them and welcome them into the community in a relaxed yet intentional way. 

By Rebecca Barrow

  [1] Acts 2:46-47.