Tables, Tastes, Time, and Travels
We attended a conference last week. The theme was “Many Dishes, One Table - Hosted by God.” The conversations around our tables were both interesting and challenging. I will not go into the details here, but much of the discussion centred on enlarging our tables to include people with different backgrounds, preferences, and perspectives. At one point, someone asked whether we could do more than expand our tables. Could we also enlarge our kitchens? That question made me smile. I have tried the kitchen experiment many times, and it rarely ends well. People who regularly use a kitchen have their own systems and rhythms. I tend to be a creator of chaos and a disruptor of tastes. The general consensus is that I should stay away unless absolutely needed, sparing someone else the task of cleaning up after me. And taste was a bit complex too. Yet the question stayed with me. It led me to realise that, when it comes to hospitality, I carry my own unspoken criteria. There are people whom I...