The quest for a common loaf
“Take and eat,” Jesus said, passing the bread around. And everybody did—except for Philip, who went away hungry, for he was allergic to gluten.
Actually, there’s no evidence to suggest that any of the disciples suffered from a wheat allergy. But lots of Christians do today. This makes it challenging to come up with communion elements that everyone in a given Christian community can enjoy together.
Yes, there are other ways you can handle the issue. You can have a little plate of gluten-free wafers on the side for those who need them. But this just doesn’t match the extravagant spirit of the meal itself—those forlorn little wafers for the complicated ones in the shadow of the big, crusty loaf blessed and broken for everyone else.
