"I Am the Bread of Life!"

Deepening my thirst for truth, I climbed atop an idea to revisit my understanding of Jesus and his message to the world, please, do not stop reading just because I mentioned Jesus; this will not be an exegesis of ancient text nor a sermon on the mount. Inspiration has not died with the Bible! Inspiration is an ever evolving animal in the species of the mankind, if, mankind does not abort its need to hunt and gather it freely. God is still inspiring us to grow and find meaning.

Have you made it this far without questioning the life you have, without whittling it down to expose its sweet tender wood and fine mangled threads, or, without breathing in the rich oak of who you really are and why you are here?! No one leaves the world without wandering in the Amazon of their purpose and securing the meaning. If you don’t’ believe me just ask someone in end of life care. I’m sure they will say that they are struggling with their life’s meaning when there is no longer a job to go to, no way to leave the bed, when dignity must take a backseat in personal hygiene and there’s no place to run from the sickle cloaked minutes hanging on the wall. Meaning’s forest is where their feet are planted in each day.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” he was calling us to understand that he was representing the most basic of human needs, meaning. Bread has been the staple in diets throughout history in all the world. The bread we consume today is not the bread whose aroma and simplicity roamed aimlessly through the streets and fields of the past (its mass produced by machines not hands). There’s something about that bread that makes me feel a thin piece of sacredness on the crust of my thoughts. That bread provided strong nutritional value, but, too, the breaking of it provided community (love of others). To make bread is time consuming but the ingredients are bare. This is such a sweet reflection on what Jesus represents to me when he identifies with bread—with being our meaning. Gone is my need for organized religions that murky the waters of his simple message; those religions make Jesus’ bread out of tares and not wheat (they use machines and not human hands). Jesus was expressing that he came to give our lives meaning, and, in our understanding the meaning of our lives; he kneaded into us the ideas that loving others is the true path to meaning. It was made clear that we’re not just loving the loveable. Jesus said that in our growth we would learn to love those that are intolerant, hurtful, pot-stirrers, abusers and the list could go on. If loving others, all others...including homosexuals for those with a more fundamental faith that I once had ... is what brings meaning to us; and lessons that infuse our lives with purpose thus providing a sense meaning, then it would be a worthy endeavor to reflect on if we are practicing this love. It would also behoove us to seek relationships that embody the simplicity of Jesus' message and are not marred with overly crowded divisional language, or, us against them mentalities.

 My new look at Jesus, away from my fundamental past, is inspiring. He becomes who I believe he was always meant to be, an example of love and inclusion. I recall sitting in a church pew, being a Deacon’s wife, and being called for a special vote; it was a vote to vote a member out of the church. That moment has stayed with me. It was the moment that I realized that if there are no conditions to unconditional love, why would we be excluding a member out of our church?! I went home heartsick knowing that I was no better or worse than that member who was voted out, but, I was not brave enough to make a stand. This new Jesus allows me to boldly say that I will no longer pick up the rock of judgement and intolerance toward ANY human no matter what the church or others think the Bible is saying. Meaning for me revolves around the need to stay in my truth. The Bible is an allegorical wonderland that holds a rich history, but, to stop there and say nothing has been inspired since; I think would be foolish especially since everything God created is ever expanding into something new.

Mona McPherson