The Love Feast (Part 1)

“Oh, please don’t let it be her!”

I had planned my first-ever Love Feast for my college and career group in Kitchener. What is a Love Feast? I don’t expect you to know because nobody else knew until they showed up. The notification simple said to show up for the event at 6:30 sharp on Friday night and bring your car if you have one.

When everybody arrived to an empty hall, they were a bit suspicious. Then I told them what the Love Feast was.

Half the people in the room who had cars would put their name in a hat. The other half would draw a name from that hat. The task was to go out for dinner with that person for two hours and come back and report to the group what you learned.

From the very start, it was an activity where two people had to cooperate. Some were dressed informally. Others had little money. Let’s not forget the vegetarians and vegans. What about those who hated certain types of food? All of these variables had to be considered. Oh, and there was one more rule. Wherever you ate, if you recognized somebody, you had to eat elsewhere. This was to be exclusively one on one.

There were many people in the room I would have loved to have had dinner with. There was one I didn’t want to choose my name. She was a petite, old-fashioned girl with glasses who was painfully shy. I had hardly ever heard her talk. How could anyone go out with her and find something to talk about for two hours?

You have probably guessed by now that she chose my name. We decided on a restaurant rather quickly. Actually, she didn’t go out very much – probably read library books every night – so she let me select something that was in her budget range.

I went to get in my car. It was unlocked. She stood by the passenger door. Yes, she was waiting for me to open the door for her, which I did with a groan in my heart. I didn’t even know her! I was dreading this event already and I was the one who created it.

The door of my car shut. The click was just like the sound of a tape player starting. She started talking and talking and talking. I seldom had the opportunity to get in a word edgewise. I just sat there listening, taking notes and nodding. It was obvious that she felt comfortable speaking with me and I imagine, like a dam bursting, she had a lot of conversation that had been saved up for many months.

Those who know me know that I know how to talk. When it came time to do our presentations, she only had about 30 seconds of information about me. I was able to give minute detail to the degree of almost telling them the number of hairs on her head. As I told everybody about her, the others watched me as if they were watching a flower open for the first time. In fact, one fellow was so interested in my exposé, he asked her out and they were married six months later.

I have done the Love Feast with several college and career groups and a men’s group. Each time, the pairings have been unusual, but have seemed like destiny taking over.

The result has always been the same. The participants have come back bubbling with joy and reporting to the group. When was the last time you had somebody tell a group how wonderful you are? Well, it happens at the Love Feast.

Another interesting thing happens. While you are out with your partner, you usually slip something into the conversation that you don’t want reported. Somehow the other person knows and doesn’t include that in his speech about the wonders of you.

Of course, the other part of the fun is listening to all of the places people go and how they decided to go there.

If you live in a community where a Love Feast would work, give it a try, but don’t tell a soul what it is until they show up. I guarantee you, many will stay home, but once they get there, they will go home singing a song.