Open Table Definition

Nothing happens in a vacuum, not even vacuuming. Relationality is at the heart of conflict transformation; a relationality of actions, people, and items are components of the varied conflict transformation processes explored throughout this course. Without relationality and interaction, our tables would be empty and quiet, our meals sparse and unpalatable, our concepts of wonder and amazement dimmed by the reality around us. A general tenet which guides my faith is the reality that being a person of faith means I am called to do difficult work. As human beings we engage imperfectly in this world and as a result experience conflict; as a person of faith I am called to do the often difficult work of forgiveness, when possible and appropriate
reconciliation, and restoration. It is incredibly difficult but exceedingly important work for the improvement and strengthening of humanity and all of creation; it is work which is called for in our efforts to love our neighbors as ourselves and reconcile ourselves to God and each other;
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

My theology for forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration includes an understanding of the power of the open table.
When I think of an open table, I think of one at which all people of the world are welcome to join in fellowship and sustenance-taking. At an open table people of diverse backgrounds are invited without pretense; people who have done harm to each other in the past, or are living through that harm in the present, can sit side by side and take in the essence of the meal before them. Porter discusses the power of the open table of communion as a place to engage in conflict and find healing in which he outlays the power of the Eucharist as well as the necessary intentionality behind preparation for the table. Porter points to Matthew 5:23-34 as guidance for being intentional about our practices of approaching the table in
liturgy;
“…Such action would better prepare us for responding to the invitation…the message of Holy Communion is of God’s forgiveness and steadfast love in spite of our failure to love God and neighbor. Our prayer of confession includes, ‘we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors… Forgive us we pray.’ In response to our confession, we are told we are forgiven.”

When we envision all tables as God’s table and approach them as such, the meaning of the meal is that much more powerful. Kay Pranis writes of the Circle Process, “Circles hold at their center the importance of recognizing the impact of our behavior on others and acknowledging the interconnectedness of our fates. Harm to one is harm to all. Good for one is good for all.” Recognizing the harm which has been impacted upon others and seeking to alleviate that harm for the betterment of people as a whole is a powerful aspect of the table and the meal. In preparing a meal for the table, the recipe generally requires a specified number of ingredients in measured quantities; these quantities assure that no one flavor overpowers another (indicating balance). Many times, a recipe will give the preparer insight into how to flavor a dish a certain way; garlic at the beginning of the cooking process will allow for a lighter taste while garlic added at the end of the preparation process will provide a stronger sensation of flavor. Like any recipe, following the prescribed process can and should lead to success, but deviating from that instruction can also yield fruitful, if not different, results. Like food preparation, processes for forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration can follow a general recipe while also being adaptable to the particular situation at hand; creating a culture of just peace can demand the seemingly impossible and improbable, that which is not even visible to the eye.
My understanding and feelings about conflict have changed over this course. Though I once despised conflict and did everything in my power to avoid it, I now have the recognition that conflict is very much a natural part of our world. I’ve come to know that we as human beings will not always agree, and there is a necessity to honor that we won’t always agree because it is through disagreements that our world has been shaped and transformed. It is important that we see our differences and disagreements as opportunities to build relationship and dialogue about our visions for this world and then engage in practices of rebuilding and transforming. A helpful way to approach life, and the conflicts of this world, is to consistently remind myself that God is with each of us no matter what we are going through. Psalm 139 proclaims the inescapable God of our faith; “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.” No matter what situation we may find ourselves in, we can rest in the knowledge that God is with us, even in places of conflict. When engaging in processes of dialogue, Psalm 139 can guide our thought process with intentionality, “You discern my thoughts from far away. Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.”
When engaging in specific practices such as the Circle Process, Interest-Based discussion, or Restorative Justice practices, aspects of those practices, such as a talking piece and dialogue, are fundamental. A ritual talking piece is chosen not only to set the flow of the conversation, but also to set the attitude of the participant. Keeping the verses from Psalm 139 or another scripture present in the mind can be help in guiding one’s participation in reconciliation processes in much the same way; we can recognize that the words which we use to engage should be authentic in scope while at the same time presented in a manner which is befitting respect of the other and God’s accompaniment. Open and authentic dialogue which is also respectful is integral to engaging in dialogue around conflict. Carl Rogers writes, “I feel a sense of satisfaction when I can dare to communicate the realness in me to another. This is far from easy, partly because what I am experiencing keeps changing every moment…I am disappointed when I realize that I have been too frightened or too threatened to let myself get close to what I am experiencing…I am inwardly pleased when I have the strength to permit another person to be his own realness and to be separate from me.”
Violence solves nothing, retaliatory actions and war are wrong.
In our current epidemic of mass shootings and violence in this country, some suggest a solution is to arm the “good people.” I’ve seen in recent days and weeks a statement, “A kid on the playground throws a rock at another kid on the playground. The teacher gives rocks to all of the kids, since, after all, only a good kid with a rock can stop a bad kid with a rock.” What the rock analogy displayed for me was the problem with violence in our society; violence in the name of ending violence is still simply that, violence. Arming “good people” to stop “bad people” still perpetuates the intrinsic systems of violence in our world, it continues to divide and pit people against each other rather than build a community of diverse humans. This fails to authentically address problems and instead perpetuates derision and harmful rhetoric. Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore points to this reality in her piece “Imagine Peace” when she writes, “The analysis does, however, point to a common interchange in the U.S., reflecting dominant images of war and minimalist images of peace… Violence poisons the ground upon which people live and the waters from which they drink; violence seeps into every person and every relationship. Peace will require years of dreaming, hoping, and building an alternate world.” Violence is in fact antithetical to peace, but restoration, reconciliation, and forgiveness align cohesively with the concept of
peace.
In restoration people are enabled to heal and feel some understanding and sensation of wholeness. They may not be the same person that they were before the experience; in fact, it is unlikely that they will be able to simply return to that form of existence. Through restorative practices, however, they can resurrect life beyond and meaning from the incident. Howard Zehr notes five practices for restoring justice;
1. Focus on the harms and the consequent needs of the victims, as well as the communities’ and the offenders’
2. Address the obligations that result from those harms (the obligations of the offenders, as well as the communities, and society’s)
3. Use inclusive, collaborative processes
4. Involve those with a legitimate stake in the situation, including victims, offenders, community members, and society
5. Seek to put right the wrongs