Opinion
“Let them eat… the bread of life”
Regular contributor Jane Walters reminds us that there is a food which will never disappoint.
My church recently held a desserts afternoon for ladies: a way of connecting with members of our community in delightfully calorific style. Since we host these events as an opportunity share our faith, I volunteered to bring a short message, which I have expanded (much as our waistbands did) for you to read here.
You see, I love cake. To be more specific, I actually love looking at cake. I once visited Harrods just to look at the cake counters, and I sent photos to my son. (He’s a chef and loves looking at cake, too!) That’s not to say I don’t like eating it, but mostly I’m content just to look.
Why? Here’s the thing: I’m always worried that it’s going to be disappointing. All that elaborate structure, or fancy icing or shiny chocolate: they are literally works of art. But what if I pay a load of money – which I would have to, of course (artistry doesn’t come cheap) – and it tastes horrible? Or, even worse, tastes of nothing? The disappointment would be overwhelming.
And that’s what I’m trying to avoid, of course. I hate being disappointed, with all those accompanying crushing, rubbishy feelings. The thing with food is that it is, rightly, a comfort. Apart from the need to survive, we turn to eating because it makes us feel good; and when the food is disappointing, it’s a double let-down, because it was horrible, and because it didn’t make us feel better.
There’s a reason Jesus stood up in front of a crowd and declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’ (John 6:35). He hadn’t long performed the miracle of feeding the 5000 with a boy’s packed lunch but, of course, those people who had been fed fit to bursting would soon find themselves hungry again. Even heaven-sent food like the manna in the wilderness had to be provided daily. Food, in and of itself, simply doesn’t satisfy.
But when we turn to Jesus, in our emptiness and struggles and, yes, disappointments, we find the ultimate comfort. He hears, He understands, He knows what to say to make us feel better; and when we receive all that from Him, we find that it has enduring value.
We don’t need to keep our distance, looking on from afar. We can do as the Bible urges and ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Psalm 34:8).
Jane Walters is Chair of the Association of Christian Writers and loves to champion writers of all ages and stages. She leads Green Pastures Christian Writers (currently meeting on Zoom) and creative writing retreats at Quiet Waters. Find out more: www.janewyattwalters.com or @readywritersretreats on Instagram.
The views carried here are those of the author, not of Network Norfolk, and are intended to stimulate constructive debate between website users.