So it is we eat

So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you,

 unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man

 and drink his blood, you have no life in you. John 6:53 

So it is we eat

of the body bread

and sip on grape-juice blood;

gathered old and young around the table,

praying earnestly

and trusting in gracious promises

that the life of our Lord might be found in us.

So it is I eat

longing to be filled;

knowing here is strength

for an uncomfortable journey

and the Cervantes-impossible quest

that awaits those foolish enough to believe

that the darkness has been overcome

and red life abounds sufficient for all.

So it is I eat

and drink of mysterious life

alone at tables of uncertainty

and in places of doubt,

when questions overwhelm

and all I am left with is the story of a man

bleeding with stretched-out arms

suspended in embrace, whispering in promise

that his life will be found in me.