神与人类交往的漫长历史中有一个基本真理，简单来说就是：神喜欢与人在一起。

起初，神与人类在伊甸园里同行（创世记 3:8）。亚当和夏娃背叛神、把神美好的世界弄得一团糟后，他们躲藏起来不敢见神，神便去寻找他们。

神拯救祂的百姓离开埃及为奴之地时，祂在云柱和火柱中与他们同行；事实上，神在他们的社群中间设立了祂的帐棚，就是会幕。

当我们在以赛亚书 7:14第一次听闻弥赛亚将要降临的预言时，我们知道祂要被称为以马内利，意思是“神与我们同在”（马太福音 1:23）。当耶稣进入了人类历史、取了像我们一样的血肉之躯时，约翰福音1章说祂：“住在我们中间。”照字面的意思，就是祂在我们中间“设立祂的帐棚”或“会幕”。如今主已经差派祂的圣灵住在我们各人里面 － 并且在我们不健全的教会中作工。

大家聚在一起和一同坐席是彼此接纳、尊重和渴望和平的象征。耶稣愿意与每一个人一同坐席：宗教领袖、税吏、妓女、富人、穷人 － 各种不同的罪人。

在主的桌前，耶稣邀请各种不完美、破碎、有罪的人与祂一同坐席。可见，神是喜悦与我们在一起的。

One fundamental truth of God's long history with human beings is simply this: God loves to be with people.

In the beginning, God walked with humans in the garden (Genesis 3:8). And when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and invited chaos into God's good world, God went to find them when they hid from him.

When God rescued his people from slavery in Egypt, he journeyed with them in cloud and fire, and God literally pitched his tent, the tabernacle, in the center of their community.

When we first hear of the coming Messiah in Isaiah 7:14, we learn that he will be called Immanuel, which means "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). And when Jesus entered human history, taking on our flesh and blood, John 1 says he "made his dwelling among us." The literal wording there is that he "pitched his tent," or "tabernacled," among us. And now the Lord has sent his Spirit to live in us—and to move among us in our dysfunctional churches.

Being together and eating together is a sign of welcome, respect, and a desire for peace. Jesus eats with everyone: religious leaders, tax collectors, prostitutes, the rich, the poor—all kinds of sinners.

At the Lord's table, Jesus invites all kinds of flawed, broken, sinful people to eat with him. God loves to be with us.

主啊，感谢你来与我们同住，又差遣你的灵住在我们里面、藉此把你的生命赐给我们。惟愿我们能为你而活。阿们。