The former bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries, now Lord Harries of Pentregarth, once wrote that the Eucharistic language of eating the Lord’s Body and drinking his Blood was so off-putting to the way twentieth century people think, that Christians should stop using it. He wonders whether Jesus’ words in John 6:51–58 (our gospel reading for Sunday) come across as deeply shocking and offensive to those for whom such language is utterly foreign. 

In his book God outside the box he argues that Eucharistic imagery can be disturbing. In a chapter entitled, "Christians Eat God", Harries says: "People who are groping their way into Christianity can suddenly find themselves shocked and horrified, though they may be too polite to express such feelings, at the sacrificial, cannibalistic language of the Eucharist". 

And in an interview with The Times, he said: "Christians do not take seriously enough people’s sense of horror at going to a Eucharist or Mass, if they have never been before, and hearing the imagery of sacrifice and eating God. It is very shocking imagery and needs a lot of explaining. But the Church takes it for granted and does not realize that people can find it shocking and offensive.... 

[S]uch an idea can seem, literally, revolting to many people today, and this reaction has to be honestly faced.I think we should qualify the imagery in order to help people realize that this is metaphor. We should use images like ‘the food of angels’ and ‘the bread of life’ instead".

Food for thought?