I know that it seems very hard to believe (or maybe it doesn’t), but I have been on a few diets in my time and the diet market is going strong as a growth (ironic really) industry in this country with most magazines promising quick fix ways to shed the pounds that will then make you truly happy. Let me see – for me there has been the Rotation Diet, the Atkins Diet – (high protein and no carbs – I got sick of it – for a time I couldn’t face seeing someone eat let, alone me eat, another Ham and Cheese Omelette in a police canteen), Weight Watchers (and its point system), the Fasting Diet (surely I should have been good at this one – but I wasn’t!) and the latest that I have yet to try the Dukan Diet (a hyper protein one, healthy and natural – apparently).

Then there are the diets offered in our readings – a fine flaky substance/manna from heaven and the bread of life – Jesus. These diets don’t promise to make us thin, but if grasped and taken they will sustain us through thick and thin (like what I did there?).

The results of these diets were for the Israelites a renewed faith and entry to the Promised Land, whilst to Christians a way never to hunger. We are only hungry when we take our eyes off of Him and try to fill ourselves from the worldly stuff that looks so tempting (like the Chocolate Brownie I am eating right now!) but never fills us. If we faithfully eat the bread of life of Jesus we are then promised the gifts of Ephesians – so as we go on holiday, rest assured I won’t be dieting from food but I will hope to feed always on the bread that Jesus offers

Steve