In his commentary on Matthew’s Gospel, theologian Stanley Hauerwas reads the feeding miracles and writes, “food and scripture are inseparable” (p.139). Does this mean we need to keep a bowl of peanuts handy for whenever we read the Bible? Not necessarily. Rather, what’s important is to be God-aware all the time, including when we eat.
We don’t have to think about eating. Instinct tells us to do it. Hunger drives us to open our mouths, chew what goes in, and swallow. During Lent, some Christians might include fasting as a spiritual discipline. In this act we go against our nature. For the sake of clarifying our focus on our need for God, we go without the food our body craves for periods of time. Does doing this really help us grow in faith?
