Jesus is our bread of life

Roughly speaking, the Chinese culture stresses the importance of the family over the individual. We are but 'little selves'. We are encouraged to sacrifice our 'little selves' for the 'big self'. Therefore, they focus more on filial piety and conformity. In contrast, the Western culture stresses individualism. People are born unique and enjoy human rights. They are encouraged to assert their creativity. Therefore, they focus more on the relationship between husband and wife.

The relationship between mother and children is physically very intimate. Everyone spent nearly 40 weeks in his mother's womb, was breast-fed by his mother for nearly 12 months or more. On the other hand, the relationship between husband and wife is also physically very intimate. The Bible teaches that in marriage, they become 'one flesh'. Now, which one of the 2 relationships is more intimate? The Chinese answer is obvious and enshrined in a historical story found in 【左傳‧桓公十五年】
祭仲專，鄭伯患之，使其婿雍糾殺之。將享諸郊。雍姬知之，謂其母曰：「父與夫孰親？」其母曰：「人盡夫也，父一而已，胡可比也？」遂告祭仲曰：「雍氏舍其室而將享子於郊，吾惑之，以告。」祭仲殺雍糾，尸諸周氏之汪。

Husbands and wives are open to choices (人盡夫也), while the relationship between parents and children is a given (父一而已). There is no choice. Therefore, the relationship between man and wife cannot be on a par with the relationship between parents and children. This is the Chinese position. It ensures the integrity and stability of family, society and the country.

The Biblical position is enshrined in the well known story of making a helper for man. God sees that it is no good for man to be alone. He made him a helper from one of his ribs. Man praises this Man Version 2 and calls her Woman.
Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh (Genesis 2:23-24).
This myth highlights the intimate relationship between husband and wife and becomes the Christian basis for the objection to divorce (Mark 10:9).

But is there a more intimate relationship than that between parents and children or husband and wife? The gospel of John tells us that there is. God wants to enter into the most intimate relationship with us. Like the familial or marital relationships, this relationship between God and us is bound in love. God so loved us that He downgraded Himself to become a man and died for us. He further downgraded Himself to become a piece of wafer for us to eat. Jesus is willing to be consumed by us and be absorbed in each and every cell of ours. In so doing, he is physically, not just spiritually, residing in us. He told the Jews the most shocking message they had ever heard.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him (John 6:56).
Among the 4 canonical gospels, John is the only one which speaks a lot in terms of 'abides' and 'abiding' (John 5:38; 6:56; 15:4-7, 7-10, 16). John offers us a contemplation of the deep relationship between Christians and their God. This, I believe, is the most intimate relationship man is able to build up on earth.

My sweet Jesus, I have not returned enough love to You. Our relationship is still very asymmetric. Help me reach out, love You through loving the little ones You sent me. Amen.