Food is a bridge builder.

Maybe we bake bread for new neighbors, meet up with someone to get coffee, or bring a side dish for a potluck. We may go out for ice cream, share a bag of popcorn, or just go out to eat at our favorite restaurant with friends.

Whether or not you like preparing food, cooking a meal, or baking bread, you can't deny that food is often what brings people together. It is a basic human need, yes, but, if done right, it is a delightful shared experience as well.

I decided recently why I love baking desserts now more than ever. Of course eating the batter is a perk (forget salmonella), and I love enjoying the finished result with people later, but in this uncharted territory of being a stay-at-home mom and homemaker, it has become a stepping stone to closer relationships with neighbors--an excuse to stop by, a way to meet a need, and even a tool to break the awkwardness when first time visitors come into our home.

And then it dawned on me the other day as I was nursing my baby girl. From birth, food is a communal experience. Even a bottle-fed baby comes to know and depend on the nurturing presence of a warm body while eating.

I'm learning more and more that bread is meant to be broken together. Perhaps we were never meant to eat alone. Maybe food is always meant to satisfy us in the presence of company, to remind us of our God-given need for others in community.