What Feeds You?

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” From John 6:24-35

In the lectionary these past weeks, we’ve been hearing a lot about bread. Last week, the feeding of the five thousand was an important reminder to remember that we have more at hand than we may realize. What looks like a few loaves and fish can be transformed beyond our imagination. It reminds us that having a vision of abundance versus scarcity is a faith position that we can claim regardless of circumstance. Watching two adorable babies be baptized during our 10:30 service is an easy place for me to find hope. Last Sunday, the smiles were easy, the music seemed more beautiful, and the congregational witness to love was overwhelming. Thanks be to God for these moments when abundance comes so readily.

But, life is made up of other seasons as well. Times when the demons of scarcity start to nip at our heels a bit more poignantly. This week the disciples have traveled to Capernaum to seek Jesus, and they are starting to ask a bit more about the mechanics of sustenance in the drier times. One has the sense that something in their demeanor may suggest they are starting to overwork the problem. They have started to think it is up to them to gather the food that will sustain them. Gently, Jesus encourages them to not work so hard on things that are passing away or to forget the ways in which they are part of a larger narrative of God’s sustenance. Lest they think they are disconnected from the Israelites who were fed manna in the wilderness, Jesus reminds them that the giver of that manna is the same God who is ready to provide now.

One common element of us drifting into a scarcity mindset is isolation and loneliness. We know that there is an epidemic of this throughout our society, and we see the pain points that it creates. Division, fear, and selfishness are only a few manifestations of a deeper malaise. We long for connection and yet also struggle to commit to what fosters that sense of belonging. Jesus calls us to come to him, and I hear this as a call to community. We cannot be the Body of Christ in isolation. We can only fully be the Body when we are called together in all of our differing gifts. Worship is a wonderful experience of that gathering. We saw it as we baptized children last week, and we see it each time we come forward to receive holy communion. 

What are the commitments that feed you? What disciplines support your connection with others and with God? The specific answers for each of us may vary, but I suspect they have common threads. We show up for the people and things that matter most to us. Connection is both a function of quality and quantitative commitment. The more we commit, the more we grow in our commitment. These are the promises of our faith, and we make them, knowing we need God’s help. When you notice you’re feeling a bit hungry or thirsty, turn towards the one who wants nothing more for you than a life of true abundance.

Peace, Beth +