St Edburg's Church - Bicester

Meanings of Harvest

We are coming to the end of the time of year when we celebrate the harvest. Ever since settled agriculture replaced hunting and gathering as the main source of food for humans – around 5,000 years ago in the case of Britain – humans have celebrated their principal harvest each year. 

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In almost all cultures there is traditionally one crop which provides the major food source for the people – in Britain and much of Europe and the Middle East this is some kind of grain, most normally wheat. For much of each year the staple food eaten by most people would have been bread or other foodstuffs based on flour. Celebration of a successful harvest was and is still a very natural thing to do since a good harvest ensured that food would be available for all for the coming year.

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For Christians there is a further reason for celebrating harvest in addition to thanking God for his bounty. This is that Jesus told us that He is the Bread of Life (John 6.35). This saying reminds us at harvest that Jesus lived ands died among us to bring us salvation and create the Kingdom of God here on earth. We remember this every time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist but harvest festival gives us further inspiration to follow Jesus as the Bread of Life.

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Christopher Young