In September 2019 after several months of discussion and exploration, Holy Trinity Brussels started a Community Kitchen project. The aim of this project was to bring people together -- from the church community and beyond -- to cook together, to share fellowship, and to help others. The food cooked was donated to other NGOs supporting people in need across Brussels. The number of volunteers and hours the project ran for and the number of meals slowly increased as autumn rolled into winter.
And then the virus came.
The decision was taken to keep the Community Kitchen running, reducing the number of volunteers present, distributing production, and maintaining the high levels of hygiene for this time. And the call went out for people to help. First, it was 300 muffins to be distributed as a healthy breakfast. That call was met, so it was increased. Finally, there was a call for 900 muffins, but 1400 came in! At this time, the Community Kitchen was asked to supply 400 meals for refugees. Dozens of quiches, hundreds of hard-boiled eggs, and more muffins came in.
During the drop-off time, I met a man who was apparently at Holy Trinity for the first time. He asked, “Is this Holy Trinity? You’re helping people, right?” For me, this was an immensely hopeful statement. This is how we’re becoming known to people in Brussels at this time. Jesus is known in the breaking of bread, in the sharing of bread.
There is something very much like the ancient faith that the Romans so demeaned being practised again. As long as that is happening, as long as the love of Christ is being shared in tangible ways, I’m reminded to hope. I will hope. The world is changing and suffering, but Christ’s body, the Church, is still reaching out in faith, in love, and in hope. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, as we wait and hope. And bake muffins.

Jeremy Heuslein