Symposium ‘08 Update 18 - communal conviviality, literally!
I told a few colleagues that I saw at Wikipedia that the word “symposium” “originally referred to a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means ‘to drink together’).” Scott Hoezee replied:
The “new wine” of the Spirit will have to continue to suffice!
Curiously, the Greek “sumposia” is used just once in the New Testament. It’s in Mark 6 where Jesus—at the Feeding of the 5,000—directs the disciples to have the people to “sit in GROUPS of 50 and 100.” The word translated as “groups” is “sumposia,” and I think Mark was using that intentionally to convey the joy and giddiness that attended Jesus’ great feeding miracle in the wilderness. In addition to the Wikipedia note about drinking, “sumposia” did refer to any party characterized by great joy and conviviality.
Come to think of it, that works for [our] Symposium, too!
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