As Thanksgiving nears, I take some time to experience a new online devotional that reminds me of how Jesus is the bread of life, and that we need to be nourished by more than earthly sustenance. The scripture was John 3:65: "Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." I got to thinking about different words for being "full," mostly in a physical sense. Words like "satiated," "satisfied," "stuffed." And "full" of course.
I have seen the word "satiated" a lot lately, it seems. We are a culture that frequently asks, "are you full?" or are you satisfied?" It's expected that you get enough to eat, enough money, enough time, enough of everything, because in our country most of us are fortunate enough to get enough, to be satiated (or sated). And often in our quest to be satisfied, we forget about those who are not full, may never be, and who need our prayers and help. The devotional suggests we pay closer attention to the meaning other than the obvious one of needing food to live, that is, the spiritual nourishment we often lack. The "bread of life" is a metaphor for what God knows we truly need to sustain our faith and growth as believers - growth in our relationship with God. Jesus' gift of his life to us was the tie to God, our creator and his father. In Jesus' dying and sacrificing his earthly existence, we gained this special opportunity to get to know God as Jesus knows God.
Abundance. What does that mean? It can mean a large amount, enough, or possibly more than enough, as in, an abundance of love that can be spread around among many people. I think God wants us to strive more for abundance of love and grace and faith, than for an abundance of possessions or achievements or even the food we eat. Fasting is a good thing because it forces us to focus away from the hunger, in order to survive the ordeal of not eating. And it hopefully makes us aware of how abundant our lives are in so many ways, how thankful we should always be for this abundance and for God's giving us all we need. And fasting should provide us with the clarity to see that there are so many other children of God who do not have abundant food or clothes or basic needs met. And with that clarity we can reach beyond ourselves and our fasting and give to those who need these basic elements of sustenance.
As we gather around tables full of hot, freshly cooked food and look at the familiar faces around us, let us open our hearts and pray for those outside our circle, who may not be sitting with anyone they know, may not be enjoying the warm food and company, and who need those of us who have abundance to share it with them.
Happy Thanksgiving. May your blessings be abundant and your tummies satisfied this holiday and always. And may you let God show you the way to spread that abundance beyond your table. Spread the bread of life as God intends it be shared.
Understanding abundance is difficult; trying to figure out what we truly need (as opposed to what we want) is even more difficult. Sharing our personal abundance is something that often requires very little ... a genuine smile; patience; common courtesy; a few moments of conversation; listening to a friend .... everyone can add something to the list. Spreading abundance beyond our own table is something each of can do if we choose to.
ReplyDelete