Bread's life

The bread of life freely given in Christ as his flesh remembered and re-lived in the eucharistic setting. The conjuration of symbol from that which feeds us in the simple diet of millions. A diet that the poorest in the world know in one form or another whether it is made from millet, sorghum or wheat it is a staple food source eaten by millions around the world. Yet, within our faith this common foodstuff has become one of the most powerful symbols of life eternal in representing Christ's life given for us and to us (Jn. 6:51). However, the juxtaposition of secular and spiritual sustenance reminds us that it is not just the spiritual that needs attention when we participate within the acknowledgement of Eucharistic life. It is also the way in which we embody and translate this into the reality that is our secular life. It is all very well to venerate the symbol, but it is the actualisation of that symbol in our very lives that is even more important. The symbol is there to continually remind us of our responsibility within the symbolic setting and covenantal values that this presupposes as they are worked out within our mundane lives.

 To be as Christ in the community is to work out the eucharistic symbolism within our lives as we show Christ's life to those who are other. So how are do we become Christ's imitators to the community (Eph. 5:1)? Too often we busy ourselves in a life of ministry and offering whilst we at the same time fail in how our lives reflect Christ seeking only power, position and authority. In this we should learn to dispossess ourselves of our normal innate behaviours that are learnt from childhood in today's selfish world. Seeking only those things that come from Christ and are spoken of as truth and love. Paul is extremely firm about this way of living as he writes to a number of disparate people. The reading from Ephesians in chapter four speaks of putting of the old and putting on the new (Eph. 4:17-24). He becomes even clearer in the following passage as he educates the recipients of the letter, stating that living a new life means putting aside lies, anger, corruption etc and living a life of truth, forgiveness and love (Eph. 4:25-32).

Bread our entry into risen life

 For those of us who live in the current era and not when the letter was written also understand how gobsmackingly difficult this is, especially when we have placed in front of us on a daily basis the corrupt behaviours of those we place in power and authority over us. It is often that we see daily prominent members of society who have power and authority (moral, spiritual and secular) behaving in ways which are the complete opposite of what it means to be imitators of Christ, and these are just those who profess some form of Christian belief. The old saying of lex orandi, lex credenda (the law of worship is the law of belief) and vice versa is as appropriate in terms of our actions in community as it is within the worship space. If we see and allow behaviour within our society and community from those with belief doing that which is contra to Christ like behaviour, then one has to wonder what or who they actually worship. That is of course not the end, because they advertise themselves as being who they are; they send a false signal of behaviour to others in the community. To counteract this, we need to ensure that we are imitating Christ in the fulness of that meaning and it begins with the bread that is offered to give life.

We are tasked with the understanding as followers of Christ that imitation or lex credendi, lex orandi in the reality of our lives is the way we need to proceed. Joab's deed (2 Sam. 18:14) is the same as the deeds of those in authority today. It is a seeking of self over other rather than placing the other over self which is what we are asked to do by truth telling. The life that bread contains cannot be thrown away in the denigration of others who have received life (maybe not Christ's) from sustenance provided by God. This is the other whom we nurture, the one who receives only physical nurture and not spiritual nurture from the same source that provided the bread. We all have a tendency to try to fulfil this within our own small enclaves rather than provide the food of life to others on the outside. The moment we attempt this we are side-lined and follow the practice of those who have gone before to our own and the other's detriment. Only when we face up to the truth that we must above all be truth tellers and comfort givers to those who are truly other will we begin to understand the benefits of bread's life.