Replenishing our Spiritual Stores

John 6:51 (NRSV): Replenishing our Spiritual Stores

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

One of the joys in my life is working out. No matter the activity -- walking, biking, weight training -- I truly enjoy it. Working out allows my body and mind to feel euphoric and connected. Deep breathing, increased circulation, and muscular engagement work together to create a sense of well being. More intense or prolonged workouts, however, result in a feeling of fatigue. And that fatigue leads to increased hunger. Sometimes during a post workout, I am so famished that I have to quickly eat something to stop my hands from shaking. My body physically communicates its need for replenishment. Many people see this hunger increase as counter intuitive: Exercise is meant to burn calories, not flare up a physical demand for more. Our spiritual life is no different. Discipleship is spiritually taxing and creates a demand for spiritual food. Where do we turn to replenish our spiritual stores?

In John 6, Jesus puts forth a provocative teaching. He says that his flesh is the food of eternal life. Those who eat of it will live forever. Many in his audience scoff at this, questioning how Jesus could demand such unlawful cannibalism. This, in turn, causes most of his followers to walk away. The apostles, however, stay. Peter beautifully sums it up in John 6:68: Lord, you have the answers; you have shown us the Father and are the key to eternal life. Although we may not fully understand this teaching, where else would we possibly go? Indeed, the apostles, Jesus’ closest friends, don’t fully understand the significance of this teaching, but they press on in faith. We are called to do the same.

Many of us reading this have a different understanding about Communion. Some see it as the Real Presence of Jesus; others see it as a memorial of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary. All of us, however, understand Communion as uniting ourselves with Christ, as partaking of his life so that we can replenish and strengthen in ours. Communion, Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper -- whichever we prefer to call it -- is an act of unity for the Body of Christ; we unify as faithful Christians and subsist on the way, truth, and life that Jesus gives us. Jesus himself, moreover, is the eternal food that satiates our spiritual hunger and unites us a children of God.

After a fatiguing workout, I often cannot satiate my hunger. Taxing physical activity requires fuel. The same rule stands for our spiritual activity. We are soldiers, ambassadors, delegates, and purveyors of Christ’s peace on this earth. In order to be prepared, energized, and enlightened, we must fill ourselves with the only food that fully satisfies, the food of eternal life -- Jesus Christ.

I pray that we join together in the spirit of Christ as we receive Communion in our own Christian traditions. Let us be united in receiving the hunger-quenching, truly satisfying life, love, and joy of Jesus Christ. Let us transform the world together through the grace and love of God. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan