Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear Friend,

The five loaves and two fish are about so much more than a one-time miracle. This morning’s Daily Office text sets out references backward, toward prophetic hopes for all to be fed, and forward toward not only to the will of God for all to be fed physically, but also to the way God is present to us in the breaking of the bread even today. If there had not been significant hunger, this would not have made sense as a story that traveled by mouth and was then recorded. If there had not been a lack of vision, we wouldn’t have the example of the Disciples suggesting that Jesus wrap it up so that people could find what they needed for the night. This event of feeding and communion and Jesus’ attention to those right in front of him tells us a lot about how this Jesus would relate to his people then and now.

After the disastrous and decadent meal hosted by Herod that led to John the Baptist’s beheading, we have this reading, which starts with this response: “Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” In contrast to a decadent and death-dealing meal, Jesus offers a hearty meal for many as sustenance, connection, and as a foretelling of the way things could be. Being in the wilderness, upending what was expected, and calling the Disciples to live in hope and to trust in his power, Jesus makes the impossible possible. Jesus worked with what the people had to offer. He offered himself, and still does, for the restoration of the whole creation.

In Christ,

Mtr Taylor