A kindergarten teacher had asked her students to bring a symbol of their religion for show-and-tell.
She asked for volunteers to show what they had brought to the rest of the class.
One girl came forward and said, “I am Jewish, and this is my star of David.”
Another came forward and said, “I am Catholic, and this is my rosary.”
The last little boy came forward and said, “I am Southern Baptist, and this is my covered dish.”
When you stop and think about it, a covered dish is actually a very important religious symbol. Jesus showed that he loved sinners by eating with them (Mark 2:16). Jesus showed that he could provide for our needs by feeding 5,000 and teaching us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Then Christ instituted the holy tradition of communion at His Last Supper, when he ate bread with his disciples and told them, “Take and eat it, this is my body” (Matthew 26:26).
Eating with someone is a way to share fellowship (Galatians 2:12). Jesus uses a picture of knocking at your door to eat dinner with you as a symbol of fellowship with Him. Jesus says, “Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20, HCSB).
So maybe a covered dish is a good symbol of the faith, after all. Pass the fried chicken!
(Copyright 2013 by Bob Rogers. Email: brogers@fbcrincon.com. Read this column each Friday in the Herald. Visit my blog at www.bobrogers.me.)
