By Gordon Creamer
Ummh, do you smell that bread, baking in the kitchen?
What kind of bread would you like your sandwich on?
Isn’t that the best thing since sliced bread?
Each of these questions and myriad others have woven their way into our everyday vernacular. They address ordinary instances that comprise our human experiences, and yet bread has numerous other connotations when our context of understanding expands to include the bread’s spiritual nature. Indeed, bread is something distinct and concrete that we require for our journey in life. It is a staple in meals across countless cultures. And it is central to meaningful gatherings and rituals that sustain our spirits, tantalize our senses, and satiate our hunger. For certain, many religious traditions incorporate bread into their rites because it embodies the sacramental generosity of God, as its impact remains long after its digestion.
I invite you to pause for a moment and to reflect upon just how much bread shows up in your life these days…
Perhaps it appears a significant amount if you bake your own bread — even more so if it is a regular part of your diet. Maybe you are a bread aficionado or zealous fan of all things bread and make a habit of sampling the diverse spectrum of bread types available in this day and age.
This was and continues to be the case for author and now priest, Meghan Murphy-Gill, who explores this rich topic in her new work, The Sacred Life of Bread: Uncovering the Mystery of an Ordinary Loaf. In just twelve creatively-composed chapters, she lifts up the dynamic and metamorphic journey that bread has in its short-lived life span. From its time in the soil as a grain seed to its appearance on tables and bakery countertops, Murphy-Gill highlights the deeply spiritual dimension of what bread — from its very nature to its purposeful, timeless existence. And, while her personal relationship with bread is complimented in this book by a diversity of recipes which she has tried and championed, she organically invites readers into imaginative reflection upon their own sensory, and ultimately sacred, experiences with bread. As she asserts, “Bread isn’t just food — it’s a lens for spiritual insight, patience, community, and connection.”
As you continue your Lenten journey and/or are searching for nuances in your spiritual practices, perhaps connecting with an ordinary loaf of bread with a holy curiosity might lead you to something palpably transformational.
Interested in this topic? Consider joining author of this post, Gordon Creamer, for a Lunch & Dialogue session on Friday, March 6 from 12:00-3:30pm titled “The Sacred Life of Bread: Uncovering the Mystery of an Ordinary Loaf.”
Register here or by calling 410-442-3120.