I’ve been thinking a lot about bread lately. Maybe because I’ve been eating way too much of it. We’ve been on the go a lot, and that translates to grabbing whatever is quick and easy, either at home or on the road. And easy often means sandwiches, made with bread, chicken covered in deep-fried breading, and even the occasional doughnut. And we mustn’t forget the tantalizing pizza. Truth be told, I love all these things, but when they happen too often, my body begins to feel sluggish telling me it’s time for an infusion of salad or fresh fruits and veggies.
When did our disdain for carbs become a way of life. Our ancestors subsisted on bread made from whatever grain was available, hard tack, cornbread, johnny cakes—by any name, it was bread of sorts. Later, wheat became the staple grain used in bread making but it was a coarser version of the whole wheat bread we eat today, the kernels ground between millstones. As better milling equipment was invented and the industrial revolution took hold, wheat was ground into pure white flour. White bread swept the nation, the softer and smoother, the better. My generation and maybe another after us grew up on white bread. A certain number of wrappers from a certain brand-named white bread could even get us into the Saturday afternoon matinee at our local theater. Bring on the PB, & J!
I recall, in the late 1980s, our family doctor informing Ken and myself that the cholesterol level in our bodies was high. We had no idea what cholesterol was, but the doctor convinced us that if we didn’t adopt wheat bread into our diet and cut out anything else made from white flour, we were a heart attack waiting for a place to happen. That was all the warning I needed—whole wheat bread became the staple of our kitchen and even that was used sparingly. And, somewhere along the line, all the other white things we loved were removed from our diet; potatoes, rice, pasta (That was a hard one. We tried the whole wheat version, but it just wasn’t the same.) Today, our doctor wants us to eliminate even the whole wheat versions, claiming that bread of any variety is bad for the body.
Over the last twenty five to thirty years, opinions regarding which foods are healthy for the human body have undergone many changes, but the notion that carbs, particularly those that are derived from grain products, are simply not acceptable dietary components. In our household, we go with the belief that all foods should be eaten in moderation. But still, we miss those hot, fluffy, buttered rolls fresh from the oven, so every now and then we offer ourselves a treat. We may, or may not, possess the will power to remove homemade bread from our diets completely, but there is another bread that needs to remain constant.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever;
and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh. John 6:51 NLT
These are Jesus’ own words. We hear His promise of life every time we celebrate Communion.
On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.
Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
I Corinthians 11:23b-24
Our bodies will typically warn us when we have consumed too many of the dreaded carbs, but Jesus is Bread we can indulge freely. He invites us to sample the “bread” often. Talk to Him, study the Father’s Word, fill ourselves so full of Him that it spills over onto all those around us. It is our mission to go and make disciples but that can only become a reality when we really get to know Jesus and are filled with His goodness, grace and mercy. So go ahead—be a glutton in your search for the Bread of Life!
Make sure you receive the bread. And once you do, pass it on. After all, if we don’t, who will?
Max Lucado, Outlive Your Life
