A Symbol of Community

Dining with another is often perceived to be sharing in their company –bestowing acceptance and goodwill unto the other.

Nobody is comfortable eating with strangers. Eating together, then as now, was a symbol of belonging together – it was a symbol of community. Breaking bread with other members of the Church establishes the Church as a community, wherein strangers are made brothers and sisters in Christ.

The early Christians were a persecuted minority, yet they found strength and hope in partaking in the symbolic Bread and Wine with those who shared in the faith. Despite the danger and rejection they often faced due to their beliefs and practices, they remained courageous because they knew they were not alone. They knew they belonged to a community.

Breaking bread is a way of saying you are bonded with the other members of your Church. The symbolic Bread and Wine therefore serves an additional purpose of reminding Christians to maintain a sense of fellowship. The Bread and Wine unites the Church.