"Hospitality is a sign of the Resurrection, a sign of new life, a sign of the reordering of the universe around one great table. We know from experience that, when patterns of hospitality break down, human beings suffer terrible cruelties. Is it possible for us to imagine a community where everyone is welcome and where there is enough? If hospitality is a sign of Resurrection, its denial is the harbinger of death. There is perverse joy we sometimes experience in excluding others from our particular table. Our longing for acceptance and approval is often accompanied by a desire to exclude others. To be part of an 'in' group requires that there be a large number (the larger the better) of outsiders. There is something very satisfying about exclusiveness.
"The indiscriminate welcoming of all people to the Supper of the Lamb is very threatening. The notion that everybody is welcome radically reorders our world. The question we posed earlier remains. Do we fear resurrection more than crucifixion? We choose death when we refuse to come to the banquet out of snobbery or fear. The Resurrection calls us all to life, to the possibility of new personal attachments and to new communal responsibilities. No wonder we resist it. The Love of God is indiscriminate and out of control. No wonder many of us try to organize another banquet somewhere else. There are many such banquets — focused on religion, ideology, or prejudice. Not everyone is invited to these parties. The guest list is carefully vetted, and there is a clear line drawn between those who are 'in' and those who are 'out.' ”