“The politics of scarcity”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Thursday, June 6, 2024
Matthew 14: 13-21 (Forward, p. 39) CEV p. 1001
I sometimes wonder just how much food scarcity, insecurity, truly exists in our world. That is, I wonder how much of our seeming scarcity actually has to do with problems of storage, distribution and profits. Perhaps, on this latter subject it is as Frank Buchman once said, ‘there’s enough for every need, but not for some people’s greed.’ In other words, there’s enough food, but it isn’t getting to the people who need it.
In the church, we also often have a sense of scarcity, whether that be with human resources, finances, or resources. We see something of this in today’s passage on the feeding of the 5,000. When asked by Jesus about what food they have on hand, the disciples reply, “We have only…”. How that so often seems to be our refrain! And, so we limp along, barely subsisting in a kind of survival mode, from year to year. By way of contrast to this kind of thinking, we have Jesus’ own suggestion, which was to give what you have, make use of that, and let God do the rest. The disciples only had five small loaves of bread and two fish, but they were willing to give them to Jesus anyway. Rather than keep them ‘in the pockets’, as it were, and complain, they were willing to take the risk and surrender them to Jesus. I suspect that we too have lots ‘in our pockets’, whether that be money or other material resources, or undisclosed, unused talents, abilities, and experiences. I truly wonder what it would be like, what Jesus could do with us in our world, if we truly ‘gave all’ to Jesus. Just a thought.
Forward notes; “They need not go away; you give them something to eat” (verse 16).
“Forty men attending a retreat gathered for worship in the Cathedral Garden. They heard movement behind them and watched as some thirty homeless people maneuvered suitcases, clattering over brick pathways. The priest held out his arms, ‘Come, join us.’ The circle widened.
“During communion, more worshippers appeared. Those on the fringes became enmeshed in one circle, one body. There was new understanding when Fr. Bill held up the bread and gazed around him, ‘This is given for all.’ Bread for forty fed a hundred.
“Lessons during the retreat were being acted out live in the garden. At worship’s end, Fr. Bill hugged one of the guests and thundered, ‘The peace of the Lord be with you!’ After worship, the multitude broke bread together again, sharing a meal in the shaded garden. There was enough for all, even enough for the sojourners to take with them.
“Months later, the Cathedral opened a feeding ministry followed by a culinary school. Those who were once hungry now feed the hungry, their multitudes.”
Moving Forward “Who are you welcoming into your circle?”