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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.