One of our latest adventures in the past year has been to invite about 10 people at random to our home for dinner—a mix of neighbors, church people, and anyone else whom Jesus invites us to meet.

Once a month, after sending out invitations, I set the table, and people show up. And as food is shared and conversation happens in a random way, Jesus shows up.

That can happen when a question or a concern about life comes up, or when someone shares a thought they have been wondering about. Somehow, the table talk eventually moves from what we might have in common to where God is in the story. For some people at the table, the idea of bringing God into the conversation can be a totally new thing, and for others it can be quite familiar. It doesn’t matter. Somewhere in the midst of conversation and sharing, the good news of Jesus is shared. It doesn’t always look the same or sound the same, but the underlying message is there, whether the topic is lighthearted or weighing heavy with concerns.

I think that must have been what happened when Jesus came “and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14)—or, as we read in The Message, when Jesus “moved into the neighborhood.” His presence made it possible for people to encounter God in a new way.