The Old is New Again
By Sue Fulmore
Familiar narratives slide right through my mind. I hear them but they sink no deeper than skin. The most beautiful and transformative stories, after years of reading, no longer reach out from the pages to startle, convict, or awaken.
New words enliven old stories. Specific forgotten details ignite the imagination once again. I turn to the story of the Last Supper, told and retold every Easter, enacted each Sunday in community. A detail comes to light, makes me wonder again at the Love revealed through the thin pages I read.
The bread and the wine, the symbol of the new was offered not only to the faithful but the faithless —the betrayer, the soon-to-be denier, the one who doubted. Not one was excluded.
As a child I remember passing the beautiful silver trays with mounds of cubed bread and the ones with tiny glass cups nestled into holes to hold them upright. Even though I had chosen Jesus as friend when I was a young child, I was prevented from partaking in this sacrament of the church. In that particular tradition there were certain hoops to jump through in order for me to be “worthy” or “ready” to participate. I longed to be able to eat the tiny piece of bread and have a sip of juice from what seemed like holy cups. Someone had decided I was not included. The belief that more was required stuck with me.
Re-reading the story of Jesus’ final meal with his friends, I sense a different narrative.
I wonder if we miss seeing the absolute inclusion. It is my need which qualifies me to eat and drink. When I fail my Savior on Saturday, does He still not reach out His hand to offer me mercy on Sunday? Mercy contained in a wafer, the body of the Beloved, and in juice, spilled for me, the once-for-all proof of my belonging.
The story of this Last Supper is reanimated. New truths awaken my heart to the wonder of the welcome offered here.
Come to the table
There is always room for you.
No performance or measuring up required.
Love awaits.
Sue Fulmore
Sue Fulmore is a freelance writer and speaker seeking to live an examined life. She pursues beauty on the regular, believing it soothes and sustains us and points us toward the Creator of all. She seeks to point others to beauty and a deeper connection to God through her writing. Sue currently shares an empty nest with her retired husband of 37 years in a small town in Alberta, Canada. Sue is the proud long-distance mom of two adult daughters and is still learning to navigate this stage. She tends her garden in the summer and indoor plant babies year-round. Sue prefers tea over coffee, baking to cooking, and will always find new ways to express her creativity. You can connect with Sue on Instagram at @suefulmore.