Bread: Different Slices

Today's readings: Psalms 97, 146; Deuteronomy 8:1-3; Colossians 1:1-14; John 6:30-33, 48-51

Scripture is multi-layered. For example, when we think of bread in a Biblical context, many interrelated images come to mind. First and foremost is Jesus as the bread of life, as mentioned in today's reading from John (v 32). There's also the story of manna - the "bread from heaven" that God sent to feed the Israelites as they wandered the desert; this is mentioned in John and also in our reading from Deuteronomy. The author of Deuteronomy says manna was sent not just for survival, but to teach God's people "that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD" (v 3). If we bounce this idea against John's  description of Jesus as the Logos - the Word of God made flesh - we come full circle in understanding that God has always been providing for our physical needs, while teaching us we are more than merely the sum of those needs.

If scripture is multi-layered, human beings are even more so, processing our lives in many ways at the same time. We are constantly aware of our need for physical bread - that is, anything that serves and sustains our physical bodies. But our souls long for another kind of nourishment, a spiritual nourishment that helps us find meaning and make sense of the world. And sometimes these seem to be at odds.

Some of us find meaning and sense in reason, in the chemistry of the bread recipe and the laws of nature that explain why the bread rises. Others find them in faith, in the eternal truths about love, mercy and grace that defy any recipe or calculation. Unfortunately, many people feel they must choose one or the other, and buy into the idea that a gap exists between them. But scripture tells us one does not live by ordinary bread alone: that use of "alone" indicates we need both types of bread in our lives - one to sustain our mortal lives and the other to feed us for eternal life. Both are from God, and both represent  realities we live in as children of God. Too much or not enough of either, and we fail to live fully. A well-balanced diet of faith and reason keeps our intellects and spirits healthy.

Evening readings: Psalms 27, 93h

The Impatience of Job

Today's readings: Ps 26, 28; Job 13:1-17, 21-27; Acts 12:1-17; John 8:33-47

Have you ever heard someone described as having “the patience of Job?” Where do we suppose that came from? Job is not at all patient. He rails against his miserable condition and demands answers from God. He rebukes his friends’ attempts to explain his situation by declaring “What you know, I also know. I am not inferior to you” (v 2). He, God and we readers all know he hasn’t done anything to merit such punishment. Patience may be a virtue, but lazy thinking and theology is not.

Lots of people – televangelists, authors, ministers – make their livings by telling other people what God is all about. Even more people – people like Job’s friends – offer the same service for free. Members of both groups often have the same problem as Job’s friend Zophar: they parrot answers that don’t fit our experience of the world. Jesus taught us about God mostly through parables and questions. We should be wary of any spiritual leaders who offer pat answers, especially when they lean more toward legalism than grace.

We should trust our instincts about God. This doesn’t mean we should create an image of God from scratch, or that we shouldn’t question, modify, and grow in our beliefs as warranted. It doesn’t mean God must want us to do and be exactly what we already are. It does mean when someone, even someone in authority, claims to know something about God, we should test that claim against our own truths. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 tell us “Test everything. Hold on to the good.”

By the same token, neglected instincts can grow dull. We have an ongoing responsibility to educate ourselves and critically evaluate what we learn and experience in matters of God and faith. We can’t say “I am not inferior” in these matters if we haven’t done the work, but any one of us is as capable of a deep relationship with God as anyone else. Keeping our own instincts sharp will help us determine whether someone is speaking the truth, or speaking eloquently and confidently – but falsely.

Comfort: God is more trustworthy than our words and ideas about God.

Challenge: Meet regularly with a group of friends to discuss what you have learned (and unlearned!) about god.

Prayer: God of life, thank you for the mind you have given me.

Evening readings: Ps 36, 39

Tomorrow's readings: Ps 38; Job 14:1-22; Acts 12:18-25; John 8:47-59