Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
One Table Cafe creates international connections and friendships
The Rev. Paul Jeanes III of Trinity Church in Princeton offers specific instructions to people who attend the popular One Table Café meal.
The doctrine according to Rev. Jeanes implores dinner guests to take it to the streets regarding a spiritual message of love and recognition.
On the third Friday of almost every month, Jeanes employs a roted message for people to break through their church pew and personal comfort zones and practice in their daily walks of life what he preaches.
The One Table doctrine serves as an invitation for all people to find a place setting at God’s ginormous table.
Area restaurants provide food fare for dinner guests who pay what they can with donations dispensed to local ministries that feed tens of thousands annually.
Last week, a walk with Laura Mora in Princeton placed us just beyond Tomo Sushi and Theo’s Salon near Nassau and Chestnut streets.
A One Table Café regular caught our eye. The elderly woman sat alone on a park bench.
She and her daughter had joined our table during their first OTC visit. We knew each other by facial assessments, smiles, eyes and noses.
Our street greeting produced a wide smile and her eyes sparkled. No mirror but our eyes likely offered similar glimmer.
She stood as we exchanged hugs and kisses on cheeks. Our OTC friend did not speak one word of English.
We guessed a country of origin as Mora found a map of Europe on her iPhone. Our unidentified companion pointed to Bulgaria or Romania.
Conversely, we did not speak Bulgarian or Romanian. We did speak the heavenly language of love and “it’s so wonderful to be graced by this unexpected but special meeting” dialect.
We thought the woman waited for her daughter but she rose from the bench, again exchanged hugs then walked off.
Previous hand gestures and signals messaged that she lived nearby. We followed until she made a left hand turn onto a side street.
We snapped one photo for a keepsake, proof of our lives having been enriched by this One Table Café alumni meeting.
Of course, we hope to see this woman during a May visit to Trinity Church, knowing that her daughter will offer translation.
Still, “Take it to the streets” works without even words. Embraces, kisses and smiles exist as worthwhile communications.
The next One Table Café dinner is being served on Friday, May 19, 2017 at 6:30 pm at Trinity Church in Princeton.
As explained on the Trinity Church website “The Mission of One Table Café is to provide a nutritious meal and build community among individuals whose paths might not cross otherwise.
Since 2011, individuals regardless of ability to pay, religion, ethnicity, marital status, gender or any other defining characteristic have enjoyed a meal and conversation at One Table Café.
The pay what you can model generates donations that help to reduce hunger through our partner organizations Mercer Street Friends, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Bread for the World, and Episcopal Relief & Development.”
One Table Café dinners include guest speakers, music and a variety of other indulgences that cultivate conversation.
Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. guests this month. Mr. Glaude currently serves as the Chair of the Department of African-American Studies and the William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University.
Widely regarded as one of the most important intellectuals in the United States today, Glaude offers a critical and insightful view on the problems currently facing black America as well as the nation at large.
Please RSVP no later than May 17 by calling 609-216-7770.