By the end of our Synod mission day at the Sikh Gurudwara of Glen Rock, my hands smelled like onions. We had been tasked with peeling sacks of purple onions and russet potatoes for their langar, a free meal in their community. Langar is both a foundational principle and an action in the Sikh community, providing a shared vegetarian meal for all visitors, regardless of differences in religion, race, class, or culture.
We sat on stools in a circle. With knives in hand, we cut off both ends of the onion and removed the outer skins to be used in preparation for their meal later that evening.
These little acts of meal preparation hold meaning. In anticipating future guests, moments of chopping, stirring, and cleaning are like prayers unto themselves. While langar is central in the Sikh community, the ideas of self‑less service (in Sikh, seva) and shared meal fellowship are part of our Christian story as well.
In Acts 2:42–47, we read how the early followers of Jesus prayed together, ate together, and shared resources, giving to anyone who had need.
This isn’t just about onions. It’s about nurturing community – for now and the future.
As the weekend of the Synod Commission unfolded, I saw the same pattern of hospitality at First Presbyterian Church of Englewood, NJ, which hosted the Synod Commission. Rev. Rich Hong and the congregation members greeted us at the doors, pointed us toward coffee and restrooms, and made sure our meeting spaces were ready before we ever arrived. Their welcoming hospitality shaped our whole experience. Because they had done their own version of “onion‑peeling,” Synod Commissioners were able to worship, listen for the Spirit, and make decisions together.
Some of those “onion layers” were added long before this commission ever gathered. Legacy gifts from Presbyterians who are no longer with us continue to nourish ministries, leadership development, and support for congregations. Their decisions were a kind of hospitality prepared ahead of time, like ingredients set aside for a future meal, and now create space for ministry in communities across our region.
None of us supplies the whole feast. Each of us brings an ingredient, a layer to the onion, trusting that God is using all of these layers together to nourish the wider church.
What might “onion‑peeling” look like where you are? What would it mean to see your giving, your hospitality, and even your long‑term plans as acts of prepared hospitality for those who will come after us?
As you think about the future, yours and the church’s, I welcome a conversation to dream together about how your gifts, including legacy gifts, might help prepare the table for guests still to come.
Suzanne Campise
Fund Development Intern
