There is a mystery to our faith, to our God. We want to enter in. Not so much figure it all out and make it logical. Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest/ author/ teach said faith is putting one foot in front of the other and saying, “What is this about?” A curiosity that gives room for the strange and wonderful mystery of God that we do not understand but know it is worth it. What is this about is indeed the question that came to my mind as I read this week’s gospel.

This gospel is a mouth full. No pun intended. Eat my flesh, drink my blood. It may sound like some kind of horror film. Cannibalism comes to mind. I know there are denominations who take this to mean the communion bread becomes Jesus and the wine becomes his blood.

I once told a friend of mine who is a Catholic Priest in Philadelphia, “I don’t believe in transubstantiation or that it becomes Jesus actual body.” He said, “I don’t care what you believe. When I say the words, it happens.”

Flannery O’Connor is a Southern author who wrote many vivid short stories. She was a devout Roman Catholic. She once said of the Eucharist, “If it’s just a symbol, then to hell with it.” Sorry, about the language, it is a direct quote.

She wrote many dark and what is characterized as grotesque short stories. After she wrote the story, “River” about baptism she was interviewed: when people criticized her for such a startling depiction, O’Connor replied, “In the land of the nearly blind, you need to draw really big caricatures.”

Jesus draws a really big caricature here.

Communion is important. Communing with Jesus matters. I also know that the spiritual not the literal is life giving and essential.

As Jean Cocteau said, “poetry is useless but indispensable.” The spiritual realm may seem useless but it is indispensable. Interesting Jesus somewhat explains the metaphor of the statement, “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is useless.” Well yes, the spirit is life, gives life. The flesh may not be the point. Useless Jesus said. Useless but indispensable. We do not live by bread alone, but we do not live long without it.

So those who heard Jesus say these words about eating his flesh and drinking his blood began to leave. Just as they were drawn to him over signs and wonders and miracles, they were offended by this.

They ate and were satisfied. Jesus then tells them to be all in. The question is not just do you want food, but do you want him? All of Jesus, not just the providing for my comfort and meeting physical needs, but all of him. John Denver: You fill up my senses, come fill me again. Eat my flesh, drink my blood, fill your senses with all of me. Come, Lord Jesus, fill up our senses, all of them again.

As many are leaving, therefore no longer a part of the crowd, no longer following him and listening to him, Jesus asks a simple question, “Do you also wish to go away?”

It is quite understandable he would ask. These verses in the book of Hebrews could have been written today:
23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another,

Many have stopped following. Have stopped church all together. Are you going to go away also?

Peter’s answer, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

To whom …. To whom… it is you, Jesus, and only you who loves us and gives us life.

To whom … who shall be our authority? Authority is the one who births into being. Like the author. The book of Hebrews reminds us Jesus is the “author and finisher” of our faith. Or the pioneer and perfector of our faith or the one who began and finished the race we are in.

To whom shall we go, you are the author, you are the Word, in the flesh. Jeremiah 15:16 – your words came and I ate them, they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart.
To whom shall we go? If we left we would be floundering trying to find someone to guide and comfort. “Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like that things that life is showing you?” To whom shall we go?

To whom? You, Jesus, heal the broken hearted. You, Jesus, stand up to the powers that be with confidence and resilience. To whom? You, Jesus, are the one who cares about others. You, Jesus, ask the right questions when we ask you questions. To whom?

It is the spirit that gives life. To whom, we do not know what it means to consume all of you Jesus, but we aren’t about to walk off the job, for to whom shall we go? You are it.

You have the words of eternal life. You Are the words. The word is in the flesh speaking to them. I have read books that I practically inhaled. They were so good, I felt a sadness at end. Yet, Jesus is more than a character in a book. Jesus is a presence and is asking us a question. Do you also want to go away? To whom shall we go?

“the soul that on Jesus still leans for repose, I will not, I will not depart to its foes; that soul though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.” How firm a foundation, the last verse echoes, reverberates in our being. You fill up my senses, come fill me again.

I know the eating flesh and drinking blood is visceral. Yet let us feast, feast on the goodness of God. My sin, not in part but the whole – it is well with my soul.

Digesting the words of God is not always easy. In the book of Revelation, it says eating the scroll was like honey, then it was bitter. Sometimes it is hard to swallow the words.

Here Jesus is asking us to eat, drink, the spirit is more than just knowing about things. We aren’t simply observing. We are not called to simply take a photo of the message. We are called to consume it. You fill up my senses, come fill me again.