Serving Breakfast

The Gospel of John ends with a peculiar tale. After Jesus' resurrection, the disciples returned to Galilee. Once there, as could be expected, they went fishing. And after a long night with nothing to show for it they are headed back to shore when someone on the beach suggests they put their nets into the water on the other side of the boat - and as the nets filled, so did their hearts and they saw that it was Jesus. Peter, ever exuberant, jumps into the water and runs to shore to see his beloved Jesus. The rest return in more normal fashion to find that there is bread, and fish cooking on the grill.

I wonder if the disciples thought about the breakfast or if they were so overcome with joy to see the one who had come back to them that the breakfast was merely an afterthought. I wonder if following the "Last Supper" with the "First Breakfast" was intentional symbolism on Jesus' part. One phase of the relationship ends there, with the breaking of the bread, and then begins again as he breaks bread and cooks fish over a charcoal fire. A new day as it were - a breaking of the undesired fast of time apart. I don't know. 

I don't know -  but I love that Jesus wraps his relationships in meals. And I love that in these crazy, busy, over-stuffed days of the 21st century people still sustain their relationships over meals. After too many hurried encounters between friends, someone usually says "Let's grab lunch. Soon!" and after a few failed attempts, they usually do. And that meal begins another day in their relationship.

At the church I where I currently work, we serve breakfast to elementary and high school students every Wednesday morning. That's because each Wednesday is a "Late Start" day of school here and for many of these kids, parents still have to show up for work even when school starts late. So we open our doors at the usual school time, and a lovely team of cooks serves up breakfast: a warm and sweet and filling breakfast. After the dishes are cleared, we share updates from the week just passed or worries about the day ahead. We might play games or make a craft or just fiddle with some play dough. Those breakfasts are the source of our relationships with many of these kids, and they know us because we break bread together. We are a special kind of family. Like Jesus and the disciples, no blood ties us together, yet we are bound by love and warm food. May they learn to recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread with us.