Readings: 2 Samuel 11:1-15; Psalm 14; Ephesians 3:14-21; John 6:1-21
I wonder how many of us have stopped reading a newspaper or watching the news recently? I have certainly been tempted, and I have certainly heard other people say they have too. It can seem too depressing, it can make us feel angry, sad, confused, helpless. Yes, the news at the moment can certainly feel overwhelming, even overpowering. There is so much going on – wars and conflict in Ukraine, the Holy Land, across Africa, the Middle East; people suffering and dying through lack of food, faulty building, gun and knife crime. Apparently, in the UK, violence against women has increased over 30% in the past few years. And wildfires devastating areas of Californian and Canada. Sometimes it feels like all we can do is be more ostrich, bury our heads in the sand: “Peek a boo, I can’t see you everything must be grand; Boo-ka-Pee you can’t see me as long as I’ve got my head in the sand”, as the Flanders & Swann song goes. We turn away, helpless in the face of all this darkness, and fearful for the future. What can we do? Where can we find enough? We have 5 loaves and 2 fishes, but that is not nearly enough to solve the world’s problems.
“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever.” The disciples in the Gospel for today are faced with another seemingly insurmountable problem. Too many people and not enough food. ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get even a little.’ Says Philip in response to Jesus. And yet, Jesus asks the question knowing full well what their answer will be. “We can’t do that! OK, so we’ve got this single packed lunch, but how far will that go amongst so many?” Philip and Andrew must have been astounded at the question, and at Jesus’ seeming expectation that they will have an answer. But of course, they do have an answer. It’s standing right in front of them, if they’d only open their eyes. Time and again throughout the Gospels, the disciples don’t get it, they don’t get Jesus, if you’ll forgive the modern parlance. He teaches, preaches, shows them who he is, what it means that he is with them, that God is with us, and they still can’t grasp what Jesus’ presence among them means, what it brings. And so, once again, he shows them: “Make the people sit down.” And he blesses the bread, gives thanks for it, that small gift from that one small boy, all he had. And through the power and generosity of God all who eat “were satisfied”. No, the disciples couldn’t do it on their own, but they could with Christ, because with that simple gift of the loaves and fishes, Jesus could change the situation. Jesus can change the situation. Jesus does, and in doing so accomplishes far more than we can ask or imagine.
The disciples have to learn that Jesus is something different, that he gives something different. Jesus gives the ability to change things, through the power at work within us from him. The miracle is the power of God working to change things, to transform the world, through us, through our God-given gifts, gifts given by God so that we might share them with the whole world: our own 5 loaves and 2 fishes, our gifts however small and seemingly insignificant. But when these are given back to God with thanks for God to use through us these gifts can make a difference, a huge difference: twelve baskets worth! If only we let Jesus work in us, through us, with us: in the famous words of Teresa of Avila: “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” (1).
Because we are Jesus’ hands, we are called to do Jesus’ acts, not ours. And like the people who have just been fed, we have to see that this is God’s doing, God’s plan. We can’t grab Jesus and make him a king in our image, make him what we want him to be, fit our view of the Messiah. It is for us to be changed by him, to be made into the people Jesus wants us to be, who God wants us to be. People who look with compassion on this world through God’s eyes. We are called to use ourselves and the gifts God gives us to work with Christ. Because these gifts are given to us so that we can share them, use them, for the good of all: the common good. They are there to be used by God to transform us and through that transformation to transform the world, to bring the kingdom on earth: thy will be done, Lord. We, like the disciples, have to recognise Jesus in the darkness of the world, in the storm, and follow him. Share him. We can’t keep him in our boat, instead we must follow him to shore through the darkness, listening to his voice: “It is I, do not be afraid.” Through the darkness of our own lives, through the darkness of the world, the power of Christ is there: “It is I, do not be afraid”, guiding, like the beam of a lighthouse, towards the dawn through the storms. If we choose to see him, recognise him and follow him, and allow him to use our gifts to bring that light, that hope.
Yes, the news is full of darkness, but if we turn away the darkness is still there. The ostrich is still surrounded by whatever it fears even with its head in the sand. But if we stand with Christ, offer our 5 loaves and 2 fishes to God, our gifts, with thanksgiving, then Christ can use these, can use us, to make a difference. It may not be a dramatic difference, we are only asked to shine “you in your small corner and I in mine”, but Jesus bids us shine out: “for all around many kinds of darkness in this world abound” (2), but we know that “God is with the company of the righteous” and those who would confound the plans of the poor will find that “the Lord is their refuge”, is our refuge. Christ has no body but ours, no hands, feet or eyes. It is through us, through the power at work within us, that Christ can achieve so much more than we can alone. We are not alone: God is with us, his spirit is here. And ours “are the hands through which he blesses the world.” So, lifting our heads and hands towards Christ, let us shine in the darkness, “you in your small corner and I in mine”. Look to where God is at work in the world, and join in. “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever.” Amen.
Revd Jackie Sellin