My favorite TV show is “Blue Bloods” which revolves around a family of New York cops. And, it’s not just because Tom Selleck stars in it. 🙂 The program features powerful storylines based on current events, but the most meaningful part of each episode is when the Reagans gather for Sunday dinner. While it’s not always a “sweet” time of fellowship given the realities of working with family who serve in law enforcement, it’s apparent that this time together is sacred and the commitment keeps them bonded. In fact, even the cast has been reported as saying that their family dinner scenes are among their favorites.
A few years ago, as our kids were getting older and our schedules became busier, my husband and I resolved that we would reserve Sunday evenings for our own family dinner. Very few events have kept us from this commitment and having this time together to enjoy a home cooked meal and share life updates, make future plans, discuss difficult topics, and even play games has remained a key factor in keeping our family united.
In a recent message to Colson Center supporters, John Stonestreet shared the sad statistic that 60 years ago, families would spend 90 minutes at a family meal; today it’s only 12. He says . . .
Less than 12 minutes. That’s the average time families spend around the dinner table today. Not only does the decline in table fellowship reveal the modern idols of busyness, consumerism, and screens, it raises an equally disheartening question:
Are we losing the ability to have meaningful conversations with the people we love most?
I fear we are, which is why I’m so deeply moved every time a mom or dad comes up to me at a Colson Center event to share how resources like BreakPoint are transforming their dinnertime conversations. “You’re part of our family,” they say. It’s one of the most gratifying compliments I could ever receive.
In 2020, you have the opportunity to share now close to 365 meals that have the potential to shape the worldview of your spouse, children, grandchildren, or friends. That’s 365 opportunities to share a Christian worldview perspective on our complex culture in both word and deed. Even scheduling one time a week provides 52 weeks of uninterrupted, unhurried, device-free time together that could have an eternal significance!
Thank you for your part in sharing BreakPoint commentaries which are being used in a variety of ways to impact individual families, churches and communities.
