At a time when loneliness and isolation have reached unprecedented levels, it has never been more important for Christians to embrace the practice of hospitality. For many, it is a lost art – a practice we have forgotten, neglected or distorted beyond all recognition. Amid material comforts and rife individualism, practising hospitality can often hold unrealistic expectations and insurmountable pressure. But what if the practice of hospitality was simpler and yet more profound than we imagined?
From the simple act of preparing vegetables to the warm welcome of a stranger, co-authors Miranda Harris and her daughter Jo Swinney re-define hospitality for the modern age. Drawing on biblical insights and a deep well of experience – most significantly within the community in the A Rocha family – this is a warm invitation to embrace the loving kindness of others. To be hospitable doesn’t require culinary excellence or matching cutlery – it doesn’t even require a home of one’s own; true hospitality offers a welcome into imperfection and messiness, a place to belong and be embraced.
Following the progression of a meal, from its planning to the moment every guest has departed, A PLACE AT THE TABLE is a heart-warming invitation into a life of thoughtful food preparation, shared meals and meaningful conversation.
From the simple act of preparing vegetables to the warm welcome of a stranger, co-authors Miranda Harris and her daughter Jo Swinney re-define hospitality for the modern age. Drawing on biblical insights and a deep well of experience – most significantly within the community in the A Rocha family – this is a warm invitation to embrace the loving kindness of others. To be hospitable doesn’t require culinary excellence or matching cutlery – it doesn’t even require a home of one’s own; true hospitality offers a welcome into imperfection and messiness, a place to belong and be embraced.
Following the progression of a meal, from its planning to the moment every guest has departed, A PLACE AT THE TABLE is a heart-warming invitation into a life of thoughtful food preparation, shared meals and meaningful conversation.
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Reviews
A Place at the Table is a transparent, insightful and intimate portrait of hospitality. Miranda's newly discovered manuscript, shaped into a finished form by her daughter Jo, records a written legacy of hospitality as it was written on every page of her life together with her husband Peter, their family and the wider A Rocha community all over the world. Miranda was luminous with God's light. This book reflects her light and it is a joy to see it on these pages, over and again.
The ideal book offers a compelling message that is vital at this cultural moment; it is crafted in a way that is in step with the content and is authored by someone who embodies the subject. This book reveals how hospitality diminishes relational fragmentation and it is written in such a way that feels as if you are around the table. The meal is made complete when you realise that the hosts are a mother and daughter who have lived as exemplars of generosity.
Beautifully written, thought provoking and at times poignant, this book weaves together one family's story of love and rootedness with the wisdom born of experience. Jo Swinney draws on biblical insights, practical examples from her own life and the writings of her mother Miranda Harris to explore how giving and receiving hospitality is at the heart of Christian faith.
I endorse this book as one who has been treated to Miranda's practice of hospitality. The lasting memory of fellowship over a meal in the garden of the Harris home will always live with me . . . The lifelong practice of hospitality shared here is authentic, of lasting impact and worthy of emulation.
This is an emotionally rich and inspiring blend of reflection, story, and journal