Bread of Life

Practice hospitality. (Romans 12:13)

The theme of bread in this culture is significant and represents time together in family or community. We have coffee and bread time in the mid morning and afternoons, people share bread with others as a hospitality or thanksgiving gift; and Holy Week before Easter is spent sharing baskets of bread with neighbors and friends. On Saturday we were gifted two large breads from some patients visiting from Totonicopan about 2 hrs away. They were wrapped in a beautiful woven cloth and basket from the region. At meal times our "bread" is tortillas or tamalitos served throughout the day.

Bread basket from Totonicopan

Yesterday in church the lesson was about developing the habit of reading the word of God to nourish our souls and strengthen our understanding of God.  One of the verses he used was Jesus' teaching in Matthew 4:4 "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" Jesus had a way of helping people understand spiritual matters by incorporating everyday physical elements.

Brother Luis Suy reminded us that our need for physical food never goes away no matter how old we are, in fact, we always have an appetite for more food if we are healthy. Likewise our need for God's word on a regular/daily basis never goes away no matter how "old" we are in the faith. In fact, just like the physical body--the more active we are spiritually, or the weaker we are from illness, the more important it is to nourish ourselves with Gods' word. We were challenged to start reading daily or throughout the day the same as we would scheduled physical meals.

I am the bread of life... (John 6: 47) ...If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. (John 6:51) 

And just as we can use food to nourish our bodies, or use it to share time with others, lets look for ways to feed on God's word daily and share the guidance and wisdom we find with others.

One of our students, Meredith showing off her bread making skills at her host families' bakery.