"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." (John 6:9-12)
The feeding miracle, the multiplication of loaves and fishes, appears in all four Gospel accounts. It is told, of course, in different ways by each author, but it boils down to this: the people are hungry, so Jesus feeds them.
Jesus doesn't debate the merit of feeding them, as we so often do. "There's not enough for everyone so we can't feed anyone or there will be a riot." "We might attract an even bigger crowd that would be even harder to feed." "If we feed them they will never feed themselves." "They don't have food because they wasted all their money on drugs." "They are hungry because they're lazy."
They are there, and they are hungry, and Jesus feeds them. With the help of his disciples, who are quite skeptical, and, in this account, one boy who happens to have some food.
What if we boiled our decisions down to this level? To feed people who are hungry, to clothe people who are naked, to visit the lonely and imprisoned? What if, instead of finding reasons not to help, we just helped? Are we going to make some problems worse? Maybe. Are we going to make some problems better? Definitely. Jesus didn't worry about what happened next. He fed people. He loved people. He healed people. What happened next was up to them.
I walk by people asking for money every day here. "A little, to eat?" they ask. I usually walk by as I do at home, thinking, "surely there is a safety net that will take care of these folks." It's like the disciples saying, "no way can we feed them all, Jesus. Send them home to eat."
The boy in the story shared his loaves and fish, giving Jesus something to work with. Starting today, I will carry coins with me and give them out to whoever asks. What happens next is up to them. My heart is lighter just thinking about it.
(and you were just waiting for food pictures, I know).
