A longer table

This hymn we sing at our church so perfectly captures the Progressive Christianity we are striving for. It also speaks to our current political climate.

I’m reminded of reading Philip Yancey so many years ago, What’s So Amazing About Grace. He described grace as scandalous. In a nation that is on the precipice of building our walls higher and expelling millions of people, what’s more scandalous than simply proposing to build tables to fit them all?

1 Build a longer table, not a higher wall,
Feeding those who hunger, making room for all.
Feasting together, stranger turns to friend,
Christ breaks walls to pieces, false divisions end.

2 Build a safer refuge, not a larger jail;
Where the weak find shelter, mercy will not fail.
For any place where justice is denied,
Christ will breach the jail wall, freeing all inside.

3 Build a broader doorway, not a longer fence,
Love protects all people, sparing no expense.
When we embrace compassion more than fear,
Christ tears down our fences; all are welcome here.

4 When we lived as exiles, refugees abroad,
Christ became our doorway to the reign of God.
So must our tables welcome those who roam.
None can be excluded; all must find a home.