The church has made the Lord’s Table far too mysterious.
Catholics make it metaphysical, with the bread and cup transubstantiating. Some Protestants feel this is too superstitious and say it is a purely symbolic.
But honestly, I think both approaches overcomplicate something simple.
We engage all the time in physical acts embody spiritual connections, and we understand those connections intuitively.
- When we pray with words, we know we are communing with God spiritually.
- When we make love, we are bonding spiritually through a physical act.
- When we hug people or shake hands, we know we are forming or strengthening a spiritual bond.
- We understand that a physical diploma realizes a spiritual credential.
- A signature on a paper realizes a spiritual relationship of debt or agreement.
It is so intuitive, in fact, that we forget those things are spiritual, but that is exactly what they are: real spiritual relationships instantiated through physical tools and rituals.
Yet somehow, we panic at the idea that the bread and the cup might actually embody the spiritual reality of our souls feeding on the body and blood of Jesus.
It seems kind of silly to wrap ourselves around the axle when it comes to the most important spiritual relationship we have, especially when Jesus commanded us to come together at this table to proclaim His death until He comes again.