When life becomes undone - from the 'Bread of Life' series

Scripture: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 and Psalm 130  •1 Kings 19:4-8 and Psalm 34:1-8  • Ephesians 4:25-5:2  • John 6:35, 41-51

What can we do when life becomes "undone?" How do you find the strength to go on, to care, when you lose a child, a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a good friend? When a loved one has dementia, or is addicted to drugs? When life just doesn't seem to make sense anymore. How can we even eat at such times?

King David laments the death of his son Absalom. Psalm 130 begins "Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord!" Elijah is in deep despair for his life, and seemingly does not have the strength, or will to eat. Paul adjures us to live in love, be imitators of God, as beloved children, putting aside bitterness, wrath, wrangling, slander, and all malice... to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven us. To not let the sun go down on our anger.

 How do we do that? This lesson is another consideration of the "Bread of Life" sayings of Jesus in John's gospel. What is "the bread of life?" What does Jesus offer us when we are "Eaten up by life," as Andrew Prior characterizes it in his article? How does Paul's letter to the Ephesians on being imitators of God relate to what Jesus tells us about the bread of life? Consider Dan Clendenin's "Imitators of God." [These are articles are not offered for political content, but for reflection and discussion on our common human concerns and dilemmas].

Are we what we eat?