The Bread of Life

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

It strikes me that Jesus knew that we would hunger and thirst for more than food and water. There is a sense in which we are created with this longing innately in us. Saint Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.”

But I do have to wonder if we don’t feel this more acutely now than ever. At this stage in history, in these times in which we are so deeply polarized when we’ve just been through a year and a half of shutdowns and quarantines and social distancing, and losing people we love. Not only are our hospitals full, but also our mental health counselors and therapists.

And really, even before all of this hit, when we gather, we are gathering more and more with like-minded thinkers. Online, the algorithms show us news and stories that only reinforce exactly what we already believe. And so we’ve become increasingly divided from each other. We’re taught to fear one another… Not to trust one another. I imagine most of us feel the loss very deeply… And, while our technology has been a blessing on many levels, so often as individuals, we’re totally distracted…

As this world becomes increasingly secular, we find ourselves longing for healing and wholeness. We are longing for connection. We are longing for a sense of the sacred.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Now, if we were to skip ahead to the end of the section in John’s Gospel, we find that a number of disciples have walked away from Jesus. They find his teaching is too hard. And Jesus asks the twelve – his closest followers whether they too wanted to part ways. And Peter responds, “Lord, to whom can we go?”

In other words, “Lord, the alternatives are not good.” Where else is there to look. If Jesus is not God’s Word to a hurting world, please, anyone, give us a more credible word. Look around. Think about the places we turn to find ultimate meaning and hope. Test the alternative answers to the world’s spiritual hunger…. Is it technology? Is it social media? Is it politics? Is it the Republican party… or the Democratic party? Is it a bigger house, more money, more successful career?

Peter says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of deep, lasting Life…”

Let us pray: We confess, O God, that sometimes we put our trust in Christ, but other times, we trust other things, other people. Sometimes we turn to him, and sometimes we fail to turn to him. Sometimes we trust in his ways, but sometimes we trust only our own way… Help us to turn back to you, to trust you. For it is You, in Christ, who has the words to deep and abundant life. Amen.