Dark Irish Bread

A recipe shared by Marlene Heckel

There are several verses in the Bible that mentions the word, "neighbor".

Matthew 22:37-40 comes to mind:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets".

What does loving our neighbor look like to you? Who is your neighbor? Whoever you may meet or see today is your neighbor, whether that person be a Christian or not. A neighbor is anyone that we can help or assist, and that person may not even necessarily live in a house next to yours! In any given situation where a neighbor is involved, we are instructed to LOVE them.

"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well." - James 2:8

One of our ministry members Sister Marlene, had a former neighbor from Greendale, Wisconsin who showed the love of Jesus Christ through her friendship.

She invited Marlene into her home many times and shared her special family recipes.

Marlene's neighbor was from Ireland and brought from her homeland, the special recipe that we are sharing with you today. My impression is that Marlene's Irish neighbor was a great example of a neighbor who loved with what she had to offer. Companionship, and genuine hospitality. Very little is required to show love like Jesus. Marlene recalls that her neighbor kept the Irish Blessing displayed in the front entry hall in her home. It read:

"May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again - May God hold you in the palm of His hand. May God be with you and bless you. May you see your children's children. May you be poor in misfortune. Rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward." -Irish Blessing.

When I read this I thought it was such a wonderful blessing! I looked deeper into the meaning of the blessing and found the mention of the wind is thought to be a reference to the Holy Spirit, who came as a "mighty wind" at Pentecost.

The sun's warmth points to God's Mercy where the New Testament points out "by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven." (Luke 1:78)

The mention of rain seems to be symbolic of God's provision - nothing will grow without the rain.

What a beautiful Irish blessing it is, and how thoughtful and fitting it was for it to be placed where all of her house guests can see it upon entering her home. It certainly left a lasting impression on Sister Marlene.

If you decide to prepare this special Irish family recipe, consider sharing it with a neighbor. And if the Holy Spirit prompts you, also share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dark Irish Bread

You will need:

2 cups of flour

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of raisins (golden)

1 cube of butter

2 cups of water

1 egg

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Boil raisins in 2 cups water for 10 minutes.