Post on 09-Aug-2020
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“TheTimeofLoavesandFishes”Rev.DavidGregoryAugust2,2020Pentecost9
Readings
Matthew14:19-20NewRevisedStandardVersion
Takingthefiveloavesandthetwofish,helookeduptoheaven,andblessedandbroketheloaves,andgavethemtothedisciples,andthedisciplesgavethemtothecrowds.Andallateandwerefilled.
LoavesandFishesDavidWhyte
Thisisnottheageofinformation.Thisisnottheageofinformation.
Forgetthenews,andtheradio,andtheblurredscreen.Thisisthetimeofloavesandfishes.
Peoplearehungry,andonegoodwordisbreadforathousand.
WearegratefultoourGoverningBoardandtoallthefriendsandparticipantswhomakeourworkatCCCpossible.Thepandemichascertainlytestedourresolveaswellasourabilitytofunctionandgrowasaspiritualcommunity.Whatwearefindingisthatourmissionismoreimportantthanever,andit’sdrivenbyadeephungerfor“GoodNews,”whichisthesimpleandaccuratemeaningoftheword“Gospel.”
Weexistintheworldtobringthisgospel—thisgoodnews—toyou,andtomakecertainthatitdoesnotgetdrownedoutbyalltheexpressionsoffearandhatredthatseemtoprevailinourdailyheadlines.Thisisnotmeantasadenialofwhatishappeningaroundus,butratherjustawillingnesstoplaceourattention,energy,andfocusonotherthingsthatarehelpful,life-givingandloving.Ifwecanplantsomeseedsofgoodnewsatleastonedayaweek,perhapstheycantakerootandproduceabountifulharvestofgraceandjusticeonalloftheotherdays.Thisisourwork.Thisisourdream.Thisisourcalling.
LoavesandFishesGrahamBraddock
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ComingfromaweekoftributesandcelebrationsofthelifeofcongressmanandcivilrightsactivistJohnLewis,theclarityandhumilityofhisimpassionedworkhasalsoplantedtheseedsofgoodnewsamongus,andperhapswefindourselveswithnewenergytocontinuehislegacyoftenaciouscompassion.Itisnotapoliticallegacybutamoralone,baseduponone’sloveandcareforpeoplewhosedignityisthreatenedeachandeverydaybyoppressiveregimesthatseektoexploitthemandholdthemdown.Thiskindofoppressionisnothingnew.
Morethantwothousandyearsago,hungrypeopleweren’tnecessarilymarchinginthestreetsasmuchasgatheringonhillsidestolistentothevoiceofateacherwhogavethemhopeforanewfuture—thekindoffuturewhereorphansandwidows,thehungryandthesick,theoutcastsofhumanitywouldfindthattheirveryhumanneedswereonequalfootingwiththoseoftherichandpowerful.Themessageoftoday’sgospelcomesfromjustsuchanafternoonwhenthousandscameseekingthewordsandthehealingtouchofJesus.Butitwasn’tjustwordsthattheyneeded.Theywerehungry.Hungryforfood,hungryforjustice,hungryforresults.TheylongedforaMessianicfigurewhocouldactuallyDOsomethingabouttheirplight.Asthedayworeon,Jesus’sfriendsbecameworriedandoverwhelmedaboutthesizeofthecrowds.Whatiftheygethungry?Whatiftheybecomeimpatient?Whatiftheybecomeangry?Theybeggedhimtodrawthingstoacloseandtosendthepeopleaway.Instead,Jesussaid,ineffect,“No,let’sDOsomething!”Heaskedthemwhattheyhadtoofferbywayoffood,anditamountedtofiveloavesofbreadandtwofish.Insteadofseeingtheimpossibilityofitall,hesimplyencouragedthemtodowhathedid:toshare,todowhattheycouldfromwheretheywerewithwhattheyhad.Andtheresultwasthateveryonewasfilledandtherewasevenfoodleftover.
Therearemanyideasandinterpretationsofthestorywhichseektoexplainwhathappened,butthefactis,weweren’tthere,sowedon’treallyknowwhathappened.It’sstrictlyconjecture,butascenethatIcanimagineisonewherethedisciplesbegansharingwhatlittletheyhad,andsoonothersdidthesameuntilthemomentumofthesharingwastheactualmiracleoftheday.Thousandsofhungrypeoplebegantoholdwhatfoodtheydidhavewithanopenhand,andasthetrustbegantobuildamongthem,itbecameafloodgateofloveandcompassionthatsoonreachedatippingpoint,andeveryonehadenough.ThisisnotunlikewhathappenedlaterafterPentecostwhenthefollowersinJerusalemheldallthingsincommonandeveryone’sneedsweremet.It’saradicalidea,doingwhatyoucanfromwhereyouarewithwhatyouhave.ButitisactuallytheveryessenceofChristianwitness,toresistthetendencytohoard,andtoabandononeselfinthepracticeofgenerosity.Itisaspontaneous,revolutionarywaytoactinresponsetotheneedsofothers,anditisthelifethatJesusappearstohaveled.
Theinstitutionwecallthechurchhasovermanycenturiesbeenlessspontaneousinitsgoodworks,morepronetopremeditation.Inotherwords,we’vebeenlikelytocallameetingtoformacommitteewhichwouldthenhavemanymeetingsabouttheissuewithahopeofonedaymeetingtheneed.InhispoemLoavesandFishes,DavidWhytewipesthatslatecleanforallofus,withhisstrongandtimelysuggestionthatweforgetthenews,theradioandthescreen."Peoplearehungry,"hesays."Thisisthetimeofloavesandfishes."
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OverandoverthisweekwehavebeenencouragedbythewordsofJohnLewis,thatifweseesomethingthatisunjust,itisourresponsibilitytoDOsomethingaboutit.Thetimeforactionisalwaysnow.Andnow.Andnow.Andnow.Whatwenowcallthe“MarchonWashington”happened57yearsagothismonth,anditwasa23-year-oldJohnLewiswhosaidtothethrongsofpeoplethatday:
Tothosewhohavesaid,“Bepatientandwait,”wehavelongsaidthatwecannotbepatient.Wedonotwantourfreedomgradually,butwewanttobefreenow!Wearetired.Wearetiredofbeingbeatenbypolicemen.Wearetiredofseeingourpeoplelockedupinjailoverandoveragain.Andthenyouholler,“Bepatient.”Howlongcanwebepatient?Wewantourfreedomandwewantitnow.Wedonotwanttogotojail.Butwewillgotojailifthisisthepricewemustpayforlove,brotherhood,andtruepeace.
Inotherwords,THISisthetimeofloavesandfishes.Thisisthedaytoallowthosewhoareoppressedtostepforwardintoplacesofinfluenceandleadershipanddothespontaneousworkofjustice.Nomoredelays,nomoreexcuses,nomoremeetings.
ThereisnogatheringonearththatcancallitselfChristianandfailtoactonbehalfofthecivilandbasichumanrightsofeveryone.Thereisnothingmorepatrioticthantoinsistonracialjusticeandequality.Thereisnothinglefttowaitfor.Thereisnodaythatwillbebetterthantoday.
InthewordsoftheEpistleofJames,“Someonewillsay,‘YouhavefaithandIhaveworks.’”Showmeyourfaithapartfromwhatyoudo,andI,bywhatIdo,willshowyoumyfaith.I’mthinkingwebestgetbusy.