Peace Found in Community
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Consider a time when you found the strength to face a challenge because of those who were encouraging you.
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."
– Coretta Scott King
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Luke 1:28-31
And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. Then the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.”
Food for Thought
I am a “worst case scenario” person. My brain likes to play this fun game where it takes the most benign of circumstances and imagines all the horrible ways they can go wrong. It’s a blast! And while this mentality has literally saved my life before, it’s also a really exhausting way to live. Either consciously or subconsciously, I’m typically living in some form of fear. It just gnaws away at my gut, keeping me from what I desire the most - peace.
But I don’t want to live in fear all the time!
As we enter this Advent season and consider the story of Mary, I often think, “I want to be like that - I want to be like Mary!” I want to feel the peace that Mary always seems to embody when she’s depicted in art and music - calm and serene, humbly accepting her charge from God to bring our Savior into this world. Talk about scary!
Then again, I must remind myself, Mary didn’t start out so peacefully.
Luke tells us that when the angel first came to Mary, she was “deeply troubled”, and who could blame her? Perhaps it was because an angel just popped up out of nowhere. Or perhaps it was the specific greeting the angel used. “Greetings favored woman!” The Bible gives us plenty of examples of how being “favored by God” meant that life was about to get…difficult, to say the least. God’s favored ones often experienced struggle, persecution, alienation, and even death.
If we truly consider what is being asked of Mary, then it is no wonder that even after the angel proclaimed the immaculate conception of her son and the miraculous purpose for which he was to be born, Mary still seemed unsure.
But then, something shifted. The angel reminded Mary of her relative, Elizabeth, who was also pregnant - almost as if to remind her that she was not alone in this journey. After this, Mary was able to move through the fear and confusion enough to find peace in this invitation to be part of God’s salvation story in the world.
So why did this bring Mary peace? I believe that the mention of Mary’s family, her community, gave her the courage she needed to accept the task God had put before her. Soon after Mary’s encounter with the angel, she went to stay with Elizabeth for several months, perhaps taking time to process all this news together – to share their joys and to comfort one another through their fears. Perhaps it was Elizabeth’s support that helped this young Mary to move from a place of peace even into a season of joy. Perhaps, having that support system helped Mary achieve the peace with which she is so often characterized - as she birthed God into the world in the late hours of the night, as she wrapped her newborn child in scraps of cloth and placed him in his makeshift crib, and as complete strangers bombarded them in that rustic stable, coming from all over to see this infant Messiah. This peace saw her through again and again when she was confronted with the fate that awaited her son, and even as she witnessed it unfold.
Community is a powerful thing. Community can be the difference between allowing your fears to keep you from fully experiencing the life God is calling you to live, and being open to the unimaginable blessings that await you. Mary understood that she was being asked to shoulder an enormous burden, and she was wise enough to not try and do it alone. She understood the value of community and the invaluable peace a strong support system could offer.
As I journey through this adventure of life and struggle with my own fears, I will cling to my community. I will surround myself with those who love me and support me, who will remind me that it’s ok to be scared sometimes, but that I can trust the faithfulness of the One and the ones who journey with me.
Perhaps that is where peace is found - where the weight of fear is balanced by the promise of God’s ever-faithful presence, and the gift of the community who shares that burden with us.
Reflect on those people who you consider to be a part of your community - those who love you and support you. Write their names down on a piece of paper.
Take a few moments this week and reach out to at least one of the loved ones on your list to offer words of love and encouragement.
If you would like a daily reflection of peace this advent season, consider purchasing the book, Advent at The Welcome Table.
Blessing
Loving God,
In this season of Advent and life,
help us to remember that our call to community
is an invitation to love one another
in a way that opens us to fully knowing
and experiencing the gifts and blessings
that await each one of us.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Take a second to talk about what community looks like.
Share a time when a friend helped you overcome a fear just by their encouragement.
Talk together about ways you can help cultivate more community into the world around you.
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Ask your kiddos to share a time when a friend gave them a compliment or offered them support.
Now have them share the emotion that they felt (happy, confident, etc.).
Help them make a list of ways they can encourage others.
Meet our Welcoming Voice!
June Dare Bunce is a native North Carolinian and one of the founders of The Welcome Table. Outside of TWT, she’s been a professional actor for the past thirteen years and has had the honor and pleasure of working as a drama instructor for organizations such as The Harlem Children’s Zone and the YMCA. When she’s not working on a script or at the office, you can either find her at the gym or on the yoga mat, walking around her adorable hometown, or working on the art of relaxing at home (it really is a skill).
To hear more from June throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!
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