The Breaking of Bread

When I first ventured into the interior of Mexico, the culture absolutely wowed me. It was so different from the Texan-Mexican experience, almost as different as night from day. Even the language was a new experience.

I had always heard tell that Spanish was a musical language. "Musical?" I would think to myself. "It sounds more like brusque and choppy to me." What I didn't realize was that border Spanish is a vast cry from the flowing lilt of Castellano. The cadence of the language away from the influence of the more guttural English was in fact melodious and rich! It really was musical! For the first time in my life I was able to appreciate the beauty of all things Spanish. One of which was the unexpected pleasure of the breaking of bread.

At that time, everywhere Auntie Trinie and I went to minister (mainly she would minister and I would act as her sidekick travel companion), people would invite us out to eat. Either they fed us in the home that hosted us, be it city or village, or we were taken to a restaurant. But it wasn't just "going out to eat." It was an entire experience. We wouldn't just sit around the table and stuff our faces. No, we actually took our time eating, enjoying the act of eating, enjoying the food in leisurely fashion—enjoying the company. The hostess was not running around like a chicken with her head cut off á la Martha (and myself). She would serve, but then sit like Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and talk with us about the things of the Lord. Oh, the wonderful testimonies shared in this manner! The glorious truths in God's Word shared and discussed! While there have been occasions when I have had that experience stateside, in Mexico it was par for the course. I have no words to express how absolutely wonderful it was, the wonder of breaking bread with other believers.

If you look in the New Testament, several passages talk about how the disciples or the believers broke bread together. Acts 2:46 infers that this breaking of bread (eating together) was a common thread in the life of the early church.

That's something our fast paced culture has lost, the taking time to just enjoy a meal and talk about things that matter, the things of God. Google the benefits of a family eating together and you'll find studies that show that a family that eats together experiences less stress, a greater emotional connection with the other members of the family, and a link to higher academic performance as well as reduced risky behaviors.

Early on we decided to strive to have our little family eat at least one meal a day together. While we lived a life of following Jesus—prayer, Bible, church—wisdom dictates that we follow all that which is good (3 John 1:11). It paid off. How blessed we were that, as a result, we enjoyed those benefits mentioned in the studies—no terrible teens were to be found in our house. Just boys to be proud of.

Aren't we, the followers of Christ, a family? Ephesians 2:19 says, "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." By extension, then, we will reap the same benefits as a natural family when we fellowship at the table together.

So the next time you sit down to break bread with someone, take a deep breath and slow down. If you're serving , try to find a moment to sit at the table with those that are there. When the conversation lends itself to it, bring Jesus into the mix. If you don't know how to do that, ask Him for wisdom. James says that He gives wisdom to all liberally and upbraids us not. He'll make an opening and nudge you to take it. So enjoy your meal—but kick it up a notch. And, above all, enjoy the experience.

In Spanish, when someone is eating and you're not going to join them or you were with them but have to leave, you say, "Buen provecho." While literally it means "good advantage, it basically means "enjoy your meal." So, "Buen provecho"—go out there, enjoy your meal and lift up Jesus while you're at it.

I like to finish my blog with an appropriate scripture. Today, though, I will quote a letter from some dear missionary friends to Asia. I was pleasantly surprised to see that their latest newsletter touched on the very thing of which I had been writing: the development of relationships through eating together!

Speaking about the influx of guests they have had recently, our friend writes: "Nothing replaces time together and sharing simple daily life experiences in a home to really get to know each other and build relationships ... Time around the dining table enjoying a love-cooked meal produces warmth and time for funny stories, insight into language and culture, and often discussions on deeply personal and eternal matters. You just never know what He might do next when you pick up that fork or chopsticks."