Theme: How many loaves have you?

Readings:
Deuteronomy 8:7-10 – praise and thank God for our bountiful land.
1 Kings 17:1-16 – miraculous food in a time of famine.
Mark 6 30-44 – 5,000 men fed from 5 loaves.

How many loaves have you? A bit of a strange question. What’s it all about?
It’s about sharing what we have for the good of all.

Why would anyone do that?

Our natural tendency is to look after ourselves. We know that from our own motives, thoughts and actions and we know it from observing other people.

We have a few high-profile examples around the world right now, highlighted by news media. People in government who have been acting very selfishly and, now that they are being called to account, they don’t want to loose what they have.

At all levels people are fundamentally self-oriented. It’s human nature. Why would we do or be otherwise?

Because we’re Christians and Christians have a different outlook and a different nature. As the Bible says, “Anyone united with Christ gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life has gone; the new life burgeons.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) “Everything – and I do mean everything – connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life – a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.” (Ephesians 4:22-24) Sounds radical. What’s more, it works.

In our Christian outlook we see that all things were created by God and belong to God (including all people). God owns all creation and has charged people with its care. So whatever happens to this world and the people living on it we have to take action.

Are all people under our care?
Yes, but in practicality we have to say, ‘as many as possible’. We have to do what we can and trust God for the rest. As Christchurch has shown, one person can mobilise a large number of people (student volunteer army) to do good for a very great number of people. One act of generosity spurs another and another. Pass it forward. This week, my sister and her daughter, carrying their shovels, went round to dig the silt away from our aunt’s place. They were joined by a young man with shovel who was looking for someone to help. They were soon joined by others and the team got the job done very quickly. Then they went in search of other people to help. Only one of this group does much digging in normal life – he’s a builder. The rest are in non-digging employment.

As is another neice who told us, “We have all, at various times this week, been over to the other side of town to help out. I have never been so happy to have blisters all over my hands from spade and wheelbarrowing – liquified mud is so thick and heavy and stinky, it’s a tough job. While we’ve been helping people shovel huge amounts of silt out of their gardens and houses, we’ve joked, we’ve cried, we’ve hugged, we’ve had cups of tea, and we’ve reassured each other that we can get though this, one day at a time.”

Christchurch is very much on our minds these days, but the situation in several countries on the other side of the world is vying for our attention. In a natural disaster it is natural for people to help one another. And it is generally easy to contribute. In man-made disasters, uprisings and the like, what to do is less obvious. It’s easier to say, “This is not my fight.” and get out of the way – if you can get out. When, like it has been in Chile (which we have read about in this service), it is you and your neighbours who are affected, you have no choice. You have to step up. Easier said than done, as we’ve been reminded. Ruthless people tend to eliminate their opposition rather than deal with them so it’s safer to keep your head down. But our God is just and he seeks justice for his people and he expects us to work to make our societies just. We do this by living justly ourselves, by prayer and by working for justice in our societies. Much is being done all the time but the work is never-ending because there are always selfish people who are working for themselves.

How to make this practical? Here’s a saying that can guide us:

Use what you have to do what you can where you are.

Think about what you have and how you can use it in your present situation.

Is there a risk? Often there is. Elijah said to the widow, “Do not be afraid. God is looking after us.” Jesus also said several times, “Do not be afraid. Don’t knows your needs. He is looking after you.”

Is it hard? Often it is. God says, “Do not be afraid.”

Let’s be faithful to our God, to our real selves and to our fellow humans by applying what we have to do what we can here and now.