Many may call this pragmatism, and by following in the path of Christ, even unknowingly, is to embrace pragmatism is one's life. Sara Miles spent her time among the poorest people on the planet, similar to Christ's instruction that performing acts of kindness to the "least of these my brothers, you did it to me." (Matt. 25:40) So when she finally decided to enter a Episcopal church and celebrate the Holy Eucharist, it would seem a natural extension of her life experiences. Food had always been an underlying, but important part of her, and there she was sharing the body and blood of Christ. She had always been involved in social justice, albeit in a secular way, and had not embraced the Christian Liberation Theology that was popular at the same time. This could have been caused by her acquired distrust of theological dogmas. However, it seems that the sharing of food was the connection she needed to recognize the Christian ideology that was already in her heart.

For the first few years, Sara Miles allowed herself to become entangled in the theological and ideological discussions and arguments surround the teachings of Jesus. But when she decided to open the food pantry and not engage in theological arguments, but simply feed the poor, that she finally understood the role that God had chosen for her....

And not unsurprisingly, Sara Miles finally received baptism, "the Sunday after the pantry opened." (p. 121) It was through the act of feeding the poor that Sara Miles accepted Christ into her heart, not through the complicated theological studies or discussions.
By finding a simple connection to Christ, Sara Miles can now embark on her exploration of the theological consequences of her actions. By attempting to understand the theology first, she failed to understand that the underlying basis for her conversion was the food connection. When she returned to that ideal, when she opened the food pantry in order to feed the poor, that is when she finally came to realize the basis of her faith; performing good deeds. It was the action of feeding the poor that gave Sara Miles the purpose she was searching for her whole life, and it was Christ that allowed her to see that. Now that she has a solid basis for her faith, she can explore the more complicated theological and dogmatic ideas which surround Christianity, such as the afterlife, or the mystery of the Resurrection.

Works Cited

Good News Bible: The Bible in Today's English Version. New York: American Bible

Society, 1976. Print.

Miles, Sara. Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion. New York: Ballantine,…