Feeding the Multitudes

When I was a single parent with three active, hungry teenagers, what looked like a whole week’s worth of groceries while I was loading up my cart and paying the bill seemed like barely enough for half that by the time I took it out of the bags and put it into the refrigerator. A loaf of bread or a half gallon of milk would often be consumed in a day, and there was no hope of leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch when dinner was a big baking pan of macaroni and cheese or a pound of spaghetti with home-made marinara. A lot of meals were more filling than nutritious, but the generosity of friends and family meant that my children and I never had to go to bed hungry.

So when I read about Jesus turning five pieces of pita and a couple of small fish* into a satisfying meal for five thousand families with enough left over to fill twelve baskets to overflowing, I think about the millions of parents all over the world who have only a few bites of food a day so that their children can have something — anything — to eat. Even the little I had back then would look like a fortune to a family who has lost everything to famine, war, or natural disaster. Like the disciples in the story, I want Jesus to make the problem go away.

But Jesus is wiser than I am. In having compassion for people in pain, Jesus offers wholeness to everyone, and shows me how to pass the blessings along. In giving thanks and handing food to others to distribute, Jesus shows me that there is enough for everyone, if everyone shares what they have. In sharing his vision of the realm of God, Jesus shows me the path towards peace and justice.

How do you pass along the blessings that you have received? How much are you willing to share? What are you doing to make the world more peaceful and just?