The Breaking Of Bread

Previous: Kingdom Of Heaven

When they visited him in the hospital the next day, Rosh was up. Isha was exhausted from yet another day of having to do financial damage control.

With his usual forethought, Rosh had created a Family Trust to buy their family home and setup reciprocal Enduring Power of Attorneys for their care and business management; otherwise the devastation would have been total. She shivered at the thought.

He was sitting up in bed, but looked lost in his surroundings. He smiled weakly at them as they entered his hospital room. Isha smiled at him, and asked, "How are you feeling now?"

"Broken," he said silently.

His pain creased her brow. Slowly, she took his hand in hers and said, "He moves in mysterious ways. There is always a reason, though we seldom see it at the time. Everything that happens, happens for the good."

"What possible good can there be?" he whispered, "For me? In the destruction of my life's work? My wealth? My confidence?"

"All is not lost," she consoled, "However long the night of the storm, the sun always comes back up the next day."

"Not for those whom the tempest takes," he replied and was silent again.

Hearing his fatalistic remarks, she had a sudden premonition. It made her afraid. Very afraid. It wasn't like him to be so reserved and silent. It wasn't like him at all.

She sensed something terrible happening inside him. Even though his body was recovering, his will was weakening.

'No', she thought, 'Don't let go! I can't let you.'

She saw him looking at her, but he was far far away. He gazed right through her, as if she didn't exist. She felt untouched and lonely.

Desperately, she tried again, "He takes the bread, gives thanks and breaks it, so he can give it away to his people. Will you betray his kindness too by your weakness?"

Shaken out of his stupor, he looked up at her, noticing her for the first time like someone notices the first ray of sunshine after the darkest night. She saw the spark she had lit. Inspired suddenly, she fanned it with a promise, “Become his bread. I will not stop you again. Ever!'

The sound of silence became deafening, and doubts crept back into her heart. But, like a ship-wrecked sailor finally stumbling upon the sand, he finally nodded at her and lay back.

"Yes," he said tiredly, "If that is why he breaks me. I will submit and be his bread."

The family sat in silence around his bed, not wanting to disturb his already tormented sleep.

Isha prayed silently, cajoling, tempting, and bargaining with his maker. He drifted in and out of consciousness.

When it was time to go, they drove back home. Nothing was said, and her kids did not interrupt her introspections.

No conversation occurred at the dinner table. After dinner, Josh crept into his brother's bed, and asked, "Was she talking of Jesus again?"

"Yes," answered Hosh, "As they ate their last supper, Jesus said to his twelve disciples that one of them was going to betray him."

"In the New International version, Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, and Luke 22:19-20 all mention that later while they were eating, Jesus took the bread, and after giving thanks, broke it and gave to his disciples, saying, "Take it, this is my body."

"Then after supper, he took the wine cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink from it. This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Then they all drank from it.”

"Yes, but how is it all connected to Pa and to our misfortune?" asked Josh.

"In both cases," explained Hosh, "Jesus took something. You take only what is fit for your purpose. So, He found Pa fit for whatever purpose He has in mind for him."

"Jesus gave thanks for what he took. He gives thanks for all promises fulfilled. Pa told me once that nature invests a lot in us. Do you know how many plants and animals must die daily to feed us and nurture us?"

"So nature is also fulfilled when its investment in us provides it abundant dividends. Together, we create a tomorrow that can be better than today."

"Jesus broke it. Breaking doesn't come without pain. Without breaking, you cannot distribute. Jesus did not let go of it when he broke it."

"He held what he had broken in his palms. He held Pa while he broke him. He lives. He is broken, but he is still in his palms."

"Then he gave away what he had broken. He distributed it amongst his people. It was a gift. An ample one. To all his people."

"To be given away to all, it had to be enough for all. There isn't enough for all, unless you have enough, and it has been broken in enough pieces. So breaking was for giving away."

"But the possibility of betrayal?" asked Josh.

"Taking means accepting, from what was on offer at the table. It means choosing something or someone over others, like he chose Muhammad or like he chose Moses amongst men."

"When he chooses you for something, and readies you for it, he places his trust in you. Will you not betray him then, if you do not go forth and do his will?" concluded Hosh and became silent.

Next: Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamayaa