Opening the household table on a regular basis creates an undercurrent of the Christian life that mimics the adoption ethic. The family is open, not closed. And there are few more precious gifts to give someone who is lonely than inviting them into the circle. This doesn’t happen automatically; but on the other hand, once you have the rhythm of the table, all it takes is an extra chair. When we combine habits of communal rhythms around the table with habits of maintaining open seats there, we come to one of the most sweet and powerful ways of living the outward life, a life inclined toward the
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