On the Way to Wonder

This week we have been pondering Jesus’ claim that he is the “bread of life.”  The idiom challenges us to reflect on whether we come to God seeking something that satisfies our wants or whether we come realizing God is the only source of nutrition for our lives.  God originally gave manna to the Israelites for forty years as they journeyed from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.  He fed them during times of grumbling and during times of praising.  Today he also feeds us daily because he is good, not because we are good.  A loaf of bread symbolizes the universal church of all peoples and languages.  God is able to speak into all of them and satisfy their challenges even as bread satisfies.  Bread is also a bridge builder creating fellowship as we share meals.  People come together around bread.  Bread, in communion, speaks to the forgiveness and building of our lives that we find in our faith.  When Jesus says, “I am the bread of life coming down from heaven,” he says a mouthful.  Enjoy this hymn.