Bread. It is basic. You mix flour, water, and salt;
let the resulting dough sit for a while, heat it in an oven or over a fire, and
the resulting product is one of the oldest and most popular foods around the world. In
spite of its few simple basic ingredients; bread comes in an amazing variety of
shapes, sizes, textures, colors, and flavors.
Fresh bread is prized for its aroma, texture, and
taste. James Beard—American chef and father of American gastronomy—wrote, “Good
bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods.” If you have had the
privilege of tasting a slice of bread fresh from the oven, you know what he
means.
Unfortunately, most people think of those slices of soft,
gummy, pale, tasteless squares when they hear the word, “bread.” It is a chemically
engineered product that has been designed to be produced as quickly and as
uniformly as possible—and to stay “fresh” on the shelf for weeks. A leading
artisanal baker has said, “I don’t think there’s any reason to make bread fast.
I don’t think it’s healthy.”
Instead he is exploring ways to produce loaves with
a dark crust and a deep flavor. His process brings out “nuances that otherwise
would not be obtainable if you don’t take the time.” He is pursuing a craft
which calls for the best ingredients, natural leavening, and radical freshness.
My grandfather was a baker. He owned his own bakery
when my mother was a child. She told us stories of time she spent in the bakery
while she was growing up.
While I was still in my teens, I became fascinated
with baking bread. What I learned early on was that in order to produce that “fundamentally
satisfying” loaf of bread, you have to pay attention to the process. It does
not happen by accident. There are many different ways and a variety of
ingredients you can use to produce a loaf you are proud to share with others;
but they all require a measure of care and attention.
Paul urges the community of believers in Rome to
allow God to transform them into the kind of people who live lives that please God.
It is process that requires care and attention. It is a process that takes
time. But if you will commit yourself to
the process, you will find there is nothing more satisfying. God is inviting
you to begin the process.
