Loaves and Fishes

" Jesus. . . withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Crowds followed him on foot from the towns. . . . . As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, ' . . . Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.' Jesus replied, 'They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.' 'We have only five loaves of bread and two fish', they answered. 'Bring them to me,' he said. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and they gave them to the people. They all ate. The disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.' [Matthew 14: 13-21].

Have you ever been in a desperate situation and wondered how you were going to get through the coming days, even the coming hours?

I have been in such a situation-- I was once a victim of a violent crime. I was alone, scared, wounded in all ways. The worst part was the sinking realization that there was no going home to my dysfunctional family, who would not take me in, and who could not help me anyway.

I was in a new city and had few friends. But throwing a dart at a map and striking out on my own would be a worse choice. In yet another new city, I would know no one.

At that point in my life, figuratively speaking, I had less than a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. I had sunk down, down and hit bottom.

I was so overwhelmed, it did not even occur to me to ask God to heal me. Or to send help. But He did send help.

I was a student then, and word got around. Students, who had little to offer, made meals for me.  They invited me to sleep on their couches when I was too afraid to stay in my apartment alone. They shared class notes, they studied with me. They listened to my doubts, my fears. They invited me to eat lunch with them or go to a movie, so I would not be alone.

My young son recently asked me if I thought that the story of the Loaves and the Fishes is "real"? He said that he thought so, because "Jesus is a pretty powerful guy!"

I believe so with all my heart because of how, out of nothing, my classmates created something miraculously loving and healing. I felt enveloped in compassion. For the first time in my life, I felt truly loved! I was saved!

You see, Sin and Death are the great levelers. They burden us. They knock us down to the dark depths of the soul.  All of us humans on earth are affected equally by sin and death -- rich and poor, young and old, without regard to race, gender or culture.

 But Love is the great multiplier! Love begets love! It is infectious. It is contagious.  A tiny smile, a warm gesture, a kind glance-- these are NOT meek and powerless. They are strong medicine for the soul. Love is  what saves us!

I think of the French Resistance during WWII, how families in the French countryside, with so little to sustain themselves during wartime deprivation, took in and saved countless Allied soldiers. Or I think of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War in America; how ordinary families sheltered and fed slaves seeking freedom in the North, then passed them along to the next safe house.

The power of Love is not a small thing! It can change lives. It can begin with a small gesture and become a movement. It can change history!

Jesus, I pray that I may multiply my love for others, that I may feed their souls!

(c) The Spiritual Devotional 2011. All Rights Reserved.