Philosophy works out the cost of the bill for the meal called life.
“Religion offers you the meal itself.”
— William James
Caravaggio’s “Supper at Emmaus,” 1601
I’m not so sure that any and every old religion offers you an actual meal called life, but Christianity absolutely offers you the bread and wine of life.
And nourishing fish as well.
Remember that Christians for something like the first 300 years didn’t even use the cross as their symbol. Their symbol (or “brand”–to borrow a modern secular term that I suppose means “image”) was a fish. They used the Greek word for “fish” as an anagram/acronym for “Jesus Christ God’s Son, Savior.” (*See link below for details about that extremely elaborate and functional Christian symbol–functional in the context and under the circumstances of their persecution, that is.)
Our New and Old Testaments–from the Passover meal to the Eucharist and beyond–are shot-through with the language and symbols of sustenance from food and drink. Page after page of The Word–especially our Christian gospels–reference some feast or banquet.
The living Christ himself, for gosh sake, embodies the bread that gives new life and well being in mind, body and spirit to all who partake.
Christ has died.
Christ has risen.
Christ will come again.
Happy Easter.
(*See here for the symbolism of the fish in early Christianity.)
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