comment
Often when I am in the kitchen, someone stops by to ask what I am making. They come inquiring because there is something that piques curiosity or memory or, possibly, hope. This question is often followed by one about when it will be served – and then either joy or disappointment, depending on whether they will be present.
We want to be fed, to be nourished, by something enticing. And we seek it out by noticing what others are filling up on and then asking its source. Once we know, we sample for ourselves and come to an intimate awareness of why it called to us. And how frequently we then want more! Next, pieces are broken off and offered to those around us – Oh, try this! The whole process is life-giving, sustaining nourishment for body and spirit alike.
That Jesus would speak of bread when describing himself is not a surprise. Everything about his ministry was about people experiencing the nourishment of love and the transformation that can happen when we take that love into our being and then extend that love to others. To systems of authority, that love and its fruit can be a threat. To a people who hunger for it, that love is an endless banquet with enough seating for all. Let the people come.