I retired nearly two years ago and I now sleep in most days...I wish. If I make it to 6:30 I'm shocked and some days I'm up a couple of hours earlier. Literally no rest for the wicked?
Since CBC Radio Metro Morning doesn't begin until after the 5:30 news I sometimes listen to the BBC's Business Daily, because that's what's served up by the CBC at this ungodly hour. Last week I heard a refreshingly interesting piece called The Price of Bread. I may have been eating toast as I listened.
It described the history of bread, reminding listeners that bread and beer (liquid bread) were once key staples of a worker's diet and that bread could require 50% of wages. It wasn't very tasty bread either, at least not by 21st Century standards. It was dense and not very refined (no, this isn't another anti-Trump rant.)
It was interesting to hear that commercially produced bread has lots of added gluten to goose the process along, which may be why some people who aren't celiacs figure they're gluten intolerant. And I was amazed to learn about the hoops French bakers jump through to qualify to make a baguette.
Bread has been key to civilization and bread was holy stuff. As a historian put it, virtually all religions had grain offerings and a version of "give us this day our daily bread." The Jewish grain harvest festival called Shavuot was known as Pentecost in Greek. Remember that in the Acts of the Apostles the dispirited followers of the crucified and Risen Christ were in Jerusalem for this festival when the Holy Spirit came and all heaven broke lose?
I've written about how Ruth, my wife, has baked bread for communion in congregations for more than two decades in her one-person resistance campaign against those tasteless micro-squares of the past. Her usual recipe is for a very aromatic and full-flavoured bread and people love it -- taste and see that the Lord is good..." She does so now in our son, Isaac's congregation, which is now our church home. The reviews have been very positive.
What are your thoughts about bread? Do you appreciate why consuming it is a religious experience?
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