Breaking Bread Together

I love to bake :) this is a vanilla braid that I made in Tennessee, I'm drooling thinking about it!

Happy Thanksgiving week! My family loves Thanksgiving, as it is a chance for us to connect with each other, work hard on making some really good food, and transition from Autumn to Christmas. When considering the topic of Thanksgiving, we started wondering what was actually served at the first Thanksgiving meal compared to what we prepare today. After a quick Google search, we found this article (https://www.history.com/.amp/topics/thanksgiving/first-thanksgiving-meal) and it provided some good insight about who was at the first Thanksgiving, the food that was and wasn't served, and the reason behind the holiday, which brings me to this week's topic: Gratitude.

Literally the name of the holiday is Thanksgiving, which inherently describes the purpose of the gathering. However, when we look at giving thanks through the lens of believers, we can realize how valuable the practice of expressing gratitude is in our everyday lives, not just on a holiday.

When I consider how to think about and talk about gratitude, I can find it to sometimes be a touchy topic. I mean, we don't know what struggles people are dealing with, what demons they face, and what they go to God with. This is why I think Thanksgiving is such a special holiday. Stick with me here, it isn't that big of a jump. We gather every year for the sole reason to give thanks and eat. The entire event is based on two things: Gratitude and Food. When we think about the food aspect, it really is an important part. Bottom line, people need food to survive. We nourish our bodies with food, we provide food at gatherings, and there are many people who work very hard to plant, maintain, and harvest the food that we find in grocery stores and markets. When food is shared or given, it is an expression of kindness, a sign of caring, and it opens the door for connection. We find an example of the impact of food in Matthew 25:35: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” It is not so different from today; homeless people often ask for food, we gift casseroles and meals when loved ones pass away, and we choose dinner dates when we want to make a span of time special. Humans connect through food. So, regardless of what struggles people are going through, breaking bread helps create a space where we can be grateful for the nourishment that food provides. It bridges the gap between people, it brings us all together, and it is helpful to have food to sustain us. In this way, we can see how Thanksgiving serves as a built-in chance for us to thank God for all He gives us. It invites us all to focus on the harvest, how far we have come, and appreciate the way that God has blessed us to be able to gather.

Not only does the breaking of bread help bring people together, but it also serves as symbolism for the everlasting nourishment of Jesus' death. Jesus Himself says in John 6:51 that "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." Jesus is the only way for us to get into Heaven, He is the only path we can take when looking for forgiveness, and He is the only nourishment for our souls. Jesus directly compares Himself to bread, which tells us the importance of food in our lives, both literally and metaphorically. It is also written in John 6:35 "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'" Once again we are reminded about the importance of feeding our souls. It gives us a reason to be thankful. Because God sacrificed His son for us, we can now live. With Jesus, we never feel the need for nourishment, as He provides us with all we need. This is crucial when we consider how we, as Christians, face the devil and his world every single day. This is why and how we remain grateful amidst the chaos of this world.

This is the part where we begin bridging the gap between the once-a-year holiday and our everyday lives. The concept of breaking bread applies directly to Jesus, being the bread of life, dying on the cross for us. When we do something as simple as eat a meal, we have the chance to be grateful for the everlasting food of Jesus on the cross. His death and resurrection sustain us through the day to day, it nourishes our souls, it reminds us of the promise of everlasting life. So, every time we break bread with a person or with people, we are able to give thanks for not only the earthly sustenance that we are gathering for, but also for the everlasting life that is gifted to us by Christ. Do you pray before you eat? This is why many people do; They are giving thanks, expressing gratitude, and giving glory to God. In this way, we can see how important it is that we are grateful for breaking bread. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." The ability to express gratitude to God is important, as we are told to do so, but when we apply it to the ways in which we need nourishment both physically and spiritually to survive on earth and in Heaven, we can appreciate the ways God sustains us through the breaking of bread.

As believers, I think it is important to make a point to be thankful for the blessings that God bestows upon us. It really is a mindset when we wake up every day. We have our health, our loved ones, our pets, our jobs, our homes, our children, our working minds, and so much more. I have learned that if we look for reasons to be grateful, we will find plenty. At the end of the day, if we have hardships and are having a difficult time seeing the silver lining, we can remind ourselves that God sent His beloved Son to save us from ourselves. And that alone is enough to lift a spirit out of sadness. I listened to The Bible Vault Podcast about John 3, which is a three-episode sequence that is part of a series answering the question "Who is Jesus?" In this particular sequence, it struck a chord to be reminded how much God loves us, how much He cares for us, and how His love gives us such a light and purpose. It touched me, and I encourage you to listen to not only the mini-sequence on John 3, but on the whole series of "Who is Jesus?" You can listen, subscribe, and download anywhere you listen to your podcasts, but I have also included a link here: The Bible Vault - PODash

When we apply the metaphor of breaking bread, what it means to us as believers, and how we have the chance to be grateful for the gift of breaking bread as Jesus dying for us, we can see the whole event of eating and sustaining ourselves in a new light. It puts into perspective how something so simple has such an important role in our day-to-day. Often our daily lives revolve around when we eat, where we eat, what we have to eat, and so on. Food plays a critical role for us all, because if we do not eat, we do not live. Just like the saving grace of Jesus is the critical piece of everlasting life, because if we do not believe Him to be our Savior, we do not have life after death. 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 tells us "And when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, 'This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'" Here, at the Last Supper, Jesus breaks bread with His disciples. This is where Communion comes from; it is when we eat His body and drink His blood to remember how His death sustains us. The gathering and breaking bread together is directly connected to the gift of everlasting life through the death of Christ.

Gratitude can stand alone, as giving thanks to God is something we should be doing as often as possible and with everything we do, but I wanted to specifically view how gratitude functions alongside food as a way for us to recognize the symbolism of Jesus dying for us. It makes the simple practice of gathering to eat a chance for us to realize the gift of eternal life and to be thankful for it. I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving, one filled with lots of pumpkin pie and good conversation, but above all I hope we can all give thanks to God for the ability to gather, the nourishment for our bodies, the chance to connect with our loved ones, and for the daily blessing of forgiveness that He bestows upon us through Jesus.