“There is room for you.”

The youth broke bread together as they passed this statement from person to person at the close of Tuesday morning’s worship service.

Worship leaders Kim Litwiller and Rachel Gerber encouraged youth to examine the story from Luke of two disciples on the road to Emmaus. With a photograph of a country road as the backdrop, Litwiller and Gerber connected the disciples’ walk with Jesus to the way in which God joins us in unexpected ways on the road of life.

Gerber encouraged the group to avoid comparing themselves to the filtered “highlight reels” of people whose lives appear on social media and to be open to meeting others on their own walks.

The drama team reflected on the importance of food in bringing people together just as Jesus and the two disciples became reconnected as they broke bread together. Drama emcee Lou and the team presented a reality cooking show in which Jesus won the prize for his submission of water-to-wine. Lou suggested that the next time the youth want to get to know someone, they shouldn’t be surprised if it happens over a piece of pie.

Isaac Villegas, Executive Board member, then spoke of an open table meal during his message.

The open table group gathers at a plastic folding table on the side of the road where they hold hands and pray before eating together. Villegas reflected that his conversations are sometimes shared with friends and other times with strangers, but as they break bread together each shares his/her struggles and joys.

Like the disciples recognizing Jesus as they ate together, Villegas sees his open table meals as a reflection of the future where people you didn’t expect to see come together to break bread and fellowship.

As Villegas recounted the story of Jesus on the road to Emmaus, he noted that the disciples did not expect their friend to come back from the dead. But Jesus’ resurrection was personal for the disciples as they realized that nothing would stop Jesus from being with those he loved. Villegas assured the youth that what Jesus wants is for everyone to enjoy a feast with him at the Lord’s table.

The Mennonite church goes to so much work and expense for convention “because we believe that something happens when we break bread and share together,” he said. “We all want for someone to look us in the eye and say ‘Stay with me.'”

The youth were encouraged to follow the example of the disciples who invited a stranger into their house.

Villegas pointed to the intentional relationship between two youth groups, Iglesias Luz el Evangelio, Dallas, Texas, and Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel, Kan.

The youth from each church take turns visiting each other and fellowshiping together over a potluck meal.

After the service, Asha Beck, MYFer from Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va., was struck by the connections made regarding relationships and food. “I like the idea of talking with people over a meal to get to know them,” said Beck. “I love all the youth together, united as one.”

The service ended with baskets of bread passing from hand to hand and people looking into the faces of their neighbor and saying, “There is room for you.”

Lydia Wilson, youth sponsor from Mennonite Church of Normal (Ill.), appreciated the idea of inclusion and youth being activists.

Connie Satchwell, another sponsor from Normal, added that she hoped the youth heard that “there’s room for everyone and it doesn’t matter where they are in their life.”