My husband and I have gone eight long weeks without one of our favorite Friday night traditions: homemade pizza. No matter how hard I search, I cannot seem to get my hands on a very key ingredient. When the Coronavirus hit Colorado, the demand for baker’s yeast rivaled the frenzy over toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Many grocery stores have since restocked cleaning products and Charmin, but yeast still manages to elude me.
Google Trends quickly reveals the connection between COVID-19 and yeast: Americans are baking. A lot. Searches for bread recipes on Google have increased by 600% since March. With all this newfound quarantined time on our hands, a baking frenzy has taken over kitchens across America. From cinnamon rolls to sourdough, banana bread to homemade focaccia bread, everyone seems to be digging out their grandma’s recipes and baking up scrumptious goodies.
Whether it is sprinkled with sugar, dipped in oil and balsamic vinegar or slathered with butter, these loaves spark feelings of nostalgia, abundance and satisfaction. Bread is the ultimate comfort food.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me
shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” – John 6:35
There’s a reason Jesus didn’t say, “I am the kale of life, come and feast on my stalks of crunchy green leaves!” He knows that we long for something denser and deeper. We are hungry for nourishment in our souls. Mere nibbling at the things of this life simply won’t satisfy our deepest cravings. We want something that we can sink our teeth into, something solid that will satisfy our deepest hunger. Our hearts long for the Bread of Life.
Over and over in Scripture, we are invited to partake in the bread of God so that we might find the nourishment we need: taste and see (Psalm 34:8), take and eat (Matthew 26:26), eat and live (John 6:51), feed and abide (John 6:56). Jesus does not ask us to simply admire the bread, study the recipe, smell the aroma and talk about the baking process. He invites us to feast. On himself. In order for us to receive this life-giving sustenance, we must actually eat.
Eating the Bread of Life is ultimately about inviting a deeper indwelling of Christ into ourselves. Much like a 5-course meal, Jesus invites us to sit at the table with him, chewing on the spiritual truths of Scripture, turning the morsels of God over in our minds. It is an invitation to rest, to silence, to reflect on Scripture, to pray, to sit with Jesus without an agenda. As we commune with Christ, we linger in his presence and enjoy our time together without rushing to pay the check and head out the door.
We are always welcome at the table. We are always invited to partake of the life and love that feasting on Jesus provides. Yeast may still be scarce and many stores still limit the quantity of bread available for purchase right now, but we will always have full access to the abundant Bread of Life.
Becky Young is a photographer, spiritual director and writer. She has been a member of Faith Church for 3 years and serves with Faith’s Photography Team, Care Ministry and Writing Team.
Becky enjoys writing about soul care and cultivating a deeper life with God. Becky was born and raised in Colorado and enjoys spending time with her husband, gardening and exploring God’s creation.