The Bread Of Life
Food For Whoever Hungers And Thirsts For Life
by Eric Elkin
A member of the congregation dropped off a freshly baked loaf of bread last week. He baked it as a gift for the staff. Unfortunately, I was not there to taste it. Thankfully other staff members were there to enjoy his present. I am grateful someone was able to benefit from his act of kindness. I just wish it were me.
Freshly baked bread, I mean bread that is still warm when you cut it, is a special experience. It is more than just the taste. There is the aroma of the bread when it first comes out of the oven. A smell that lingers while the bread is still warm. It triggers your mind to get your taste buds ready to go crazy.
Then there is the warmth itself. It melts even the coldest dab of butter. The heat of the bread is gentle and comforting. When you are holding it in your hands, it feels like it warms your whole soul. Maybe you can tell, not a moment has gone by that I have not thought about the missed opportunity.
On Sunday I received a special surprise. A gift that made up for my lost opportunity. I thought Peggy was baking cookies until a special fragrance filled the air. It was the sweet smell of freshly baked banana bread. The last time she made banana bread it was clear she had figured out our new oven. I started circling the bread as it cooled like a vulture zeroing in on fresh roadkill.
Have you ever wondered how bread ever came to exist? Who invented it and what was the process? Every morning I walk through an open field. These past few mornings I have been looking at that field differently. The field makes me wonder, who decided what plants were edible? I assume it was a trial and error process with great stories of failure.
Bread, though, is not just about eating wheat. Someone needed to combine it with other grains and ingredients. Then someone needed to come up with the idea to bake it. Today, we take bread for granted. When we go to the store and expect a quick purchase of it. Then, complain if traffic causes too long to get home.
Those who bake their own bread understand the process of creating something out of a collection of ingredients. However, they may not fully realize those who dared to create without direction. They saw something delicious in a field of plants.
I am the bread of life. These words mean something powerful for those who can see beyond what is right in front of their face. The words are hope to those who hunger and thirst for something more than the often empty trends of the modern age. Like the aroma of freshly baked bread, these words breathe life into my soul.
Perhaps, though, the most important word in the entire reading is “whoever.” The bread of life is not for whoever is present. It is not restricted to those who understand where it comes from or how it came about. The bread of life is for anyone who hungers and thirsts to be fed. This brings peace to my soul. I hope does to yours as well.
Click to read John 6: 35-51
Reflection Questions:
Do you have a pleasant memory of eating freshly baked bread? If not bread, what would be your comfort food?
How does eating a comfort food impact more than your taste buds?
Where do you need to be fed, that food cannot satisfy?
How can Jesus be the Bread of Life for you today?