Half a Loaf Is

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life:  he that cometh to me shall never hunger. John 6:33, 35 (KJV)

Being in my kitchen is sheer pleasure! Over the years, cooking and baking have provided many enjoyable hours. My favorite thing to bake is bread. I love the fragrance of a loaf of wheat bread baking in the oven.

Without preservatives, the shelf life of homemade bread is limited, and living alone I find it is imperative to share half a loaf.

Sharing bread often takes me to a friend’s home where I can enjoy a cup of afternoon tea and a good visit. My older friends, those who have lived longer than eight decades, are always the most appreciative. Often, along with their warmest thanks, they will add, “You are a lifesaver because I just haven’t felt like going shopping.”

Each time someone calls me a lifesaver, I think of the Latin-derived word for friend:  companion. A companion is one who comes “with bread” (cum panis) or one who eats bread with another. In Bible times (before the refining of flour), a companion was one who came with bread, which contained all the nutrients needed to sustain life. Since my friends and I have often discussed the meaning of the word, “companion,” they know that my reply to being called a “lifesaver” will always be the same: “Isn’t that what friends are for?”

Being a Christian friend and having a Christian friend just makes our lives seem so much richer, but it is when we know Jesus Christ well enough to call Him our friend that we understand the true meaning of the word, “companion.” Christ came bringing bread – the Bread of Life—that we might never hunger.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus, to share The Living Bread, that we might partake and find eternal life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Judith Welch (reprinted from 2022)