Very truly, I tell you…the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Jn 6:33

Our family is considering another attempt to travel to Armenia this Summer, and the one thing we are dreading is the 24 hours of planes and layovers. Daddy my shoe fell off. Momma, I’m hungry! He’s bothering me. Are we there yet? When can we go back home?  That’s how it sounds in our car when we drive to Orlando; what will it be like on our transcontinental journey?  Sharing our concerns with you already helps me feel better.  But I also find some comfort in today’s Gospel reading, which reveals that complaints on a long journey is an issue with very deep roots.

The journey Jesus references today is course the journey of the Israelites, the Exodus of a people recently freed from slavery in Egypt. And the soundtrack is similar to kids in a car:  We’re hot. We’re hungry! Are we there yet?  Can we go back home now? In other words, the Israelites-like kids on a long journey-are anxious about what lies ahead and are whiny. But of course in the Bible, a trip is not just a trip and the story of God’s people is also our own story.