[amberamuletuk]

Dear Matthew,

Thanks for explaining yourself. It took me a while to understand what you were saying, but over the course of the afternoon, as I thought about it, I think I understood. I suppose, you're just trying to differentiate between the difference in a meal-time discussions, and more serious, teaching/doctrinal discussions.

If so, I agree. Serious discussions are best left for a different time, when there's no food around. A meal time, is more for getting to know each other as persons, and not primarily a time for teaching. Its a time for being yourself, good, bad and ugly, and for loving and being loved for your peculiar habits that make you who you are.

We were at my second cousin's & her family's yesterday. First time meeting them. I'd heard that she'd married a jewish man. But I was left confused, for many of them were wearing crosses (family members of the 'Jewish man' who'd married my second cousin). However, I didn't ask them about it. I didn't want to know, unless the conversations took a 'theological' direction. I had so much fun getting to know them, watching how they interacted with each other, and seeing how much they loved each other... in fact, I fell in love with them to such a degree that I left, wishing I was more directly related to them! I think I'll be terribly disappointed if I don't see them again next Christmas.

But, if instead of just being ordinary people, if we'd just had theological discussions, it would've made for many awkward conversations, or none at all. A time, and place for every kind of conversation, eh? =)

In Christ,
Mary