Bread
A reading for Friday, August 22, 2014: John 6:27-40.
Nearly every culture on earth, no matter who it is or where they are, have some sort of bread in their diet. The diversity of this staple food is endless and every culture prides itself in having its own unique kind of bread. If we went on an international culinary bread tour, we could eat baguettes from France, focaccia from Italy, soda bread in Ireland, naan and roti from India, dark rye bread in Russia, tortillas in Mexico, pandesal in the Philippines, bannock from North America, or mantou in China (“Bread”, 2010).
Jesus says, "I am the bread of life." We are mistaken if we think Christianity is only a western religion, limited to Europe or North America, just as we would be mistaken if we thought bread was limited to those places. Faith in Jesus is growing and thriving all over the world, and in fact most in the southern hemisphere of planet earth, in Africa and South America.
Jesus as the bread of life is a wonderful metaphor to how we might continue to imagine sharing the gospel even in our own United States. The gospel, like bread, might look very different depending on the culture in which we live, but it's the same gospel. If we could only imagine bread in one way, then can we only imagine the gospel in one way?
What does the gospel look like in your neighborhood, or among your friends and family, or at your school, or in your town? It's amazing to see how God is moving differently but with the same salvation for all. Truth is it's the same gospel, even if it looks different than you first imagined.
Jesus is the bread of life... "Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
Nearly every culture on earth, no matter who it is or where they are, have some sort of bread in their diet. The diversity of this staple food is endless and every culture prides itself in having its own unique kind of bread. If we went on an international culinary bread tour, we could eat baguettes from France, focaccia from Italy, soda bread in Ireland, naan and roti from India, dark rye bread in Russia, tortillas in Mexico, pandesal in the Philippines, bannock from North America, or mantou in China (“Bread”, 2010).
Jesus says, "I am the bread of life." We are mistaken if we think Christianity is only a western religion, limited to Europe or North America, just as we would be mistaken if we thought bread was limited to those places. Faith in Jesus is growing and thriving all over the world, and in fact most in the southern hemisphere of planet earth, in Africa and South America.
Jesus as the bread of life is a wonderful metaphor to how we might continue to imagine sharing the gospel even in our own United States. The gospel, like bread, might look very different depending on the culture in which we live, but it's the same gospel. If we could only imagine bread in one way, then can we only imagine the gospel in one way?
What does the gospel look like in your neighborhood, or among your friends and family, or at your school, or in your town? It's amazing to see how God is moving differently but with the same salvation for all. Truth is it's the same gospel, even if it looks different than you first imagined.
Jesus is the bread of life... "Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
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