In our neighborhood, there are four bakeries that bake nothing but fresh Portuguese rolls at five cents each. Most people eat this daily bread (pão) because the government-set price is so low. The rolls have different textures depending on which bakery you buy from. Two bakeries sell door-to-door. The other two sell their rolls in bread stands throughout the city.

Arthur pushes a wheelbarrow with a sack of rolls slowly past our house every morning at about 9:30, calling out “Pão!” in a loud voice as he walks along. We became his friends and loyal customers as he supplied us with rolls while we were at home during COVID-19 closures.

About four months ago, a bread van started driving through our neighborhood blaring an annoying recorded jingle of pão, pão, pão. The driver drives faster than Arthur can push his wheelbarrow, so he reaches our street at about 7 each morning. This bread van has taken some of Arthur’s customers, but if you are not ready to immediately rush out into the street , you will miss the bread van.

One morning when the bread van went past our window loudly advertising pão, we watched as many hungry folks came out to the street and purchased. A wish came into my heart: I wished the gospel could be proclaimed like pão! Isn’t Jesus the Bread of Heaven that promises to satisfy spiritual hunger? Then a question came to my mind: Which Heavenly Bread vendor would be most successful in spreading the gospel? Would it be friendly Arthur going door to door, the noisy driveby bread van, or stationary bread stands in the city? What do you think? I admit that all approaches are viable. Which method would be best in your neighborhood?

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