Contemplating Communion

"May God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the richness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine." - Isaac's blessing to Jacob (Genesis 27:28)

Bread and wine. This simple meal is loaded with so much meaning and symbolism within Christianity that it can be difficult to understand the true weight and significance of this sacramental meal. Its roots go back much further than the last supper between Jesus and his disciples, a meal reenacted by Christians through a tradition known as the eucharist, or communion, or the Lord's supper. Let's take a look at these two elements and contemplate why this particular food and drink continue to draw people together.

A few important images related to bread emerge from the book of Exodus in the Hebrew bible. During Israel's haste escape from Egypt, they had to gather their bread dough before the yeast could be worked into the bread. This detail of the exodus would be ceremonialized in the Feast of Unleavened Bread that would occur every Passover. The next mention of bread occurs as the Israelites are wandering in the desert. With little food to sustain them, God provided "bread from heaven" from the morning dew which became known as "manna". Then, when Israel eventually built their sacred temple, twelves loaves of bread representing the twelve tribes of Israel had a constant place inside the temple designated as the "bread of the presence".

All of these images get wrapped up into the bread Jesus offered his disciples during his final Passover meal. As they were eating, he broke a loaf of bread, shared it with them and said, "Take, eat, this is my body." By identifying himself with the Passover bread, Jesus becomes a new Moses leading humanity out of bondage and exile. He becomes the "bread of heaven" that sustains humanity with divine life. And he becomes the "bread of the presence" that brings the twelve disciples, and all who eat, directly into the presence of God.

"The bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry." - Jesus (John 6)

Wine, in the ancient world and often still today, represents blessing and abundance. Wine is often associated in the Hebrew bible with mountains and garden imagery that take our imaginations back to the fruits of the Eden garden where the tree of life stood at the center. In the Hebrew bible, the people of Israel are often compared to a vine with God as its vinedresser. Jesus takes up this metaphor in the gospel of John saying, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit." Jesus becomes a microcosm of Israel and a fulfillment of God's covenant to bless the whole world through them. This vine, with all its branches and fruit, represents humanity connected to the tree of life and planted in a new Eden.

The juice used to make wine is sometimes referred to in the Hebrew bible as the "blood of the grape". Blood, in the ancient world, was considered a holy substance that gave life to all creatures on earth (Lev 17). Consuming animal blood was strictly prohibited for the Israelites since it contained the life of a creature, so the blood of the grape serves as a perfect image for drinking in new life. At the Passover meal, Jesus takes a cup of wine and after giving thanks he says, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." instead of spilling blood in sacrifice to the gods, this life-blood is given to us.

As part of Israel's covenant with God (through which God would bless all people) Israel made various offerings to God in their temple. These temple offerings included animals, grain, and wine. Some of these were given as thanks to God while others were given to atone for the sins of the people. Jesus seems to wrap these ideas together once again. This meal, the bread and the wine, represent humanity reunited with God. Our sins, those thoughts and behaviors that divide and separate us, are forgiven and no longer stand in the way of the union of humanity and divinity. The bread from heaven and the fruit of the earth are taken into our own bodies. Within our bodies heaven and earth come together. Humanity and divinity are united together in Christ, and now we are invited into the same divine union as Christ gives himself to us.

"To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." - Jesus (Matt 13:33, Luke 13:20-21)

It's interesting to see the role that yeast and fermentation play in both bread and wine. Although the fermentation process wasn't fully understood until the ninetieth century with Louis Pasteur's discoveries, the ancient world certainly knew there was an invisible process at work that transformed juice into wine, barley into beer, and wheat into leavened bread. It's interesting that Jesus chose these two elements, rather than meat or some other drink, to represent the giving of himself to all humanity. It seems as if transformation is intentionally embedded in the meaning of this meal.

The apostle Paul speaks of a transformation from our old/false self to our new/true self. In the sharing of this meal of transformation, our true humanity is found in communion with one another. Our false, isolated identity can never enter the kingdom of God because it isn't real. Once we are transformed by the divine life within us, we can finally see our true identity is in eternal union with each other and God. Nobody is outside of this oneness. There is no separation. There is no beginning or end. There is only communion.

"There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is among all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4: 4-6