Loaves and fish in the desert place

Last night I sat around a table with 8 friends.

We ate well over shared conversation- soup and stew prepared lovingly for us.

We read and pondered Scripture together. We read from Mark 6, the story of Jesus and his worn out disciples, fresh from their time in villages seeing glimpses of God’s reign breaking through bringing healing and freedom. As always, the crowd interrupted them and Jesus turned his attention to those on whom he had compassion. We laughed at the absurdity of Jesus telling his disciples to feed all those people in the middle of the desert place. And we pondered a story of so much abundance. On that day there was bread and fish enough for over 5000 people. More than enough, for there was a basket of leftovers for each of the 12 disciples!

We remembered the story that shapes our life- the story of an abundant God! Taking bread leftover from our own dinner, finding grape-juice in the fridge we told the story that sits in the centre of our faith. We named our own encounters of God’s generosity. We named the tension of a world flawed and broken so that we don’t always see this clearly. We enacted Jesus’ feeding of his friends in an upstairs room long, long ago.

God feeds us with God’s very self.

God makes us into God’s very body in the world.

God calls us into abundance, not fear.

Imagine if we lived believing this story- God is a God of abundance!

Imagine if our church lived believing this story- God is a God of abundance!

Imagine if our society lived believing this story- there is enough for all, with twelve baskets of leftovers after everyone has had their fill!

Today I am going to follow this Christ who lifted up five loaves and two fish and trusted in an abundant God.