Bread Is Not Power

" Jesus said, 'Do not work for food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.'  So, the crowd said to Him, 'What can we do to accomplish the works of God?' Jesus said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in the One He sent.'  So they said to Him, 'What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in You? What can You do?'  Jesus said, 'My Father gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.'  So they said to Him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.'  Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.' " --[ John 6: 24-35].

In the Old Testament, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. The Lord told Moses, 'If you love me, you will follow my Commandments.'  Pages upon pages of more detailed rules were delineated in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.  It has been estimated that there are 613 commandments in all.

When Jesus came, the crowd in this passage asked, 'What can we DO to accomplish the works of God?'

We see the roots of this anxiety over work, and our temptations towards status from achievements, early in Jesus' ministry. In Matthew 4: 8, " the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give You', he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.' Jesus said, 'Away from me Satan! For it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.' "

I was raised in a family that believed that following certain rules would ensure success and wealth. I was to eat only nutritious food,  never sugar or salt, to make me stronger.  I was to attend certain schools. I was to achieve only top grades. If I received an A-, my mother would say, "Next time, it WILL be an A".

I was to wear my hair a certain way, not too long and not too short. I was to wear only "power colors" such as red and blue. Brown was for losers, yellow was for cowards.

My father truly believed that he was better than the neighbors because his lawn was greener and thicker, and our home was better maintained. He believed that he was better than the neighbor who sold hardware out of the trunk of his car, or the neighbor who painted houses for a living. After all, my father WAS a banker, wasn't that a whole lot more prestigious?

But it did not take long for me to become deeply suspicious of power. I was the baby and the only daughter in the family. But I had no power. Some days, I went to school with black eyes. Some afternoons, my brother booby-trapped my room with raw eggs in shell. Most nights, I stayed up until
everyone was asleep, to keep myself safe in my bed.

After awhile, I no longer wanted what my family could DO. I wanted how they could love. And yet, they did not love.

When I left home, for university, I was beginning to realize that works, or power, were things that could easily be abused.  Power could become a means of aggrandizing oneself to the detriment, and even to the harm, of others. Worshipping one's own works could mean jealousy, bitter factions, intolerance, abuse and cruelty.

In university, I read "To The Lighthouse", by Virginia Woolf. The section entitled  "Time Passes" changed my perceptions utterly. This middle section of the book details the gradual erosion and ultimate destruction of a home, simply by inexorable decay from the passage of time.

I saw with dismay that nothing that man can do or produce will last forever. Our works, our power, are ultimately power-LESS.

Virginia Woolf seeks something that can be lasting. She finds this in Art.

I find this in Love. The work of God IS Love, through our belief in the One whom God sent to us. His Son.

Today, I work for God, and I work to give His Love to others. I find that I finally have power, but it is way more power than I could ever have myself. I know full well that it is God's power! I am only borrowing it.

Two friends, who were formerly Lost Boys, ask me to help them in their ministry to their village back home. I say, "God, You better send someone with the knowledge of what to do." In short order, I meet  a woman who has started her own foundation. She is willing to teach my friends what they need to know.

My donation basket at my church, where women donate hand-made hats and scarves for the homeless, is empty. I say, "God, how can I get more items for the shelter? They really need a way to stay warm in winter."  The next time I check, the basket is full!

Is something mystical happening? I believe so. I believe in the power of  Jesus and His Love, to give life to the world.

I believe that Jesus is the bread of life, and that whoever comes to Him will never hunger and will never thirst.

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