Break thou the bread of life,
O Lord to me, As thou didst break the loaves Beside the sea; Beyond the sacred page I seek thee Lord; My spirit pants for thee, O Living Word! Mary Artemisia Lathbury (1841-1913) |
Jesus once said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35) Jesus often identified himself with the essential elements of life. Do you recall his conversation with the Samaritan woman who came to the well to draw water. He told her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14 NRSV) He was, of course, speaking of the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is what the hymn writer is referring to in 'Break thou the bread of life,' because the letter or the written word is not the living word, only the print, so to speak. Again, Jesus said 'I am the light of the world.' 'I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.' (John 8:12 KJV) So bread, water and light, what we cannot live without, are what Jesus identified himself with. The hymn writer concludes her meditation with:
Thou art the bread of life, O Lord to me, Thy holy word the truth That saveth me; Give me to eat and live With thee above; Teach me to love they truth, For thou art love. |