Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. (Mark 6:41-43)

Jesus takes, blesses, breaks and shares in the six feedings of the multitudes.

At the Last Supper when Jesus gives us the practice of communion, it is by taking, blessing, breaking, sharing bread.

In Emmaus, after his death and resurrection, Jesus’ own friends don’t recognize him until he takes, blesses, breaks and shares bread with them.

I wonder if any of them could even describe just how it is that Jesus takes, blesses, breaks or shares bread that is so familiar. Maybe they could, but their recognition is likely that rather unconscious knowing of muscle memory.

We know things that we can’t explain. I could always tell who was coming up the stairs in my childhood home. If I really tried, I could probably figure out how – I think my mom’s footsteps are the most deliberate. My sister’s are . . . maybe the quickest? If I was upstairs in that house today, I would absolutely know who was coming up the stairs from the sound, even though I can’t confidently explain how.

I don’t follow football, but if I was ever going to watch the Super Bowl halftime show, I’d have tuned in this year for Bad Bunny’s all-Spanish performance (the first time the halftime show would ever be fully in our country’s second-most predominant language). I learned that Bad Bunny would be the performer during a dental cleaning as the white dentist and hygienist complained to each other about how inappropriate his music is because it is “just so gangster.”

I barely knew who Bad Bunny was, but this sounded racist and xenophobic to me. As a White person, and as a person who doesn’t follow rap, I won’t even try to use or define the term “gangster music.” You can see the history of all super bowl halftime shows here and make your own analysis.

Theologian Dana Cassell did watch Bad Bunny’s show and writes: “It was a big, boisterous, joyful performance that made everybody want to get up and dance, and it was also a manifesto, layer upon layer of association, reference, meaning and symbol. If you knew, you knew. And even if you didn’t know, you still got the message. That’s how good symbolism works.” 

You can read her full post about the transfiguration scripture and Bad Bunny’s halftime show here.

Jesus’ followers and friends know the symbolism of the host taking the bread, lifting and blessing it, breaking and sharing it.

The host would take a piece for himself (and it would be a him) and pass to his right, where the guest of honor sits, who would take a piece and pass to his right, where the next-most-important guest sits.

Jesus shares the bread in the feedings of the multitudes, at the Last Supper and in Emmaus. He passes both pieces, to the right and to the left (as I imagine it), which makes irrelevant any table hierarchy.

“Don’t sit at tables that Jesus would overturn” cautions a bumper sticker. I don’t know if Jesus would watch Super Bowl halftime shows, but I believe he celebrates the overturning of language, racial and ethnic hierarchies.

In celebration of Puerto Rico, try mofongo. Mofongo is a Puerto Rican dish that combines the cuisines of the Taino native people, the Spanish people and the West African people who have been blending their languages, cultures and recipes for centuries in Puerto Rico.

Echoing the West African staple fufu, with Taino ingredients and methods and Spanish flavors, mofongo is the classic Puerto Rican side dish, like fries or salad might be in your city. It’s served in a molded mound (typically shaped by the pilón, the bowl of the mortar and pestle) and typically made from green plantain, but could be yuca, potato or another starch. You can mash it with mortar and pestle, but I find it convenient to use a food processor. Some traditionalists would scoff at this, but I wouldn’t bother making mofongo at all otherwise!

I’ve had dry mofongo, which is fine if you’re eating it alongside soup or a juicy piece of fish or chicken. When it’s not dry, it’s really greasy, traditionally from pork cracklings or bacon. My version is still rich, but from dairy in order to be vegetarian — and with extra garlic.

You can read more about the history of mofongo here and some traditional recipes here.

Vegetarian Garlicky Mofongo

makes 6-8 side servings

Ingredients

• 2 green plantains (Note: If you can’t find them, use another starchy food like potato or yuca.)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup vegetarian meat substitute (I use Quorn’s crumbles, but anything that is reminiscent of sausage or chorizo would make sense. If you’d rather use tofu or a mild flavor ingredient, add 1 teaspoon oregano and 1 teaspoon salt.)
• 3 cloves garlic, optional
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons yogurt, sour cream or milk
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Slice the plantains into one-inch pieces and peel with a paring knife. Green plantains don’t peel easily like bananas, but with a knife you can easily separate the peel from the flesh without waste.
2. Sauté in the olive oil for about 3 minutes on each side, until brown and a little crispy.
3. If you do not enjoy the bite of raw garlic, move on to step 4. For those who do enjoy it: Mince garlic and add to the plantains to brown.
4. Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine, but stop before it turns into paste.
5. Eat mofongo alongside a light tomato soup, steamed greens or something else that balances this rich and starchy dish.