Scripture: Mark 6:35-44
When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat." But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?" And he said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." When they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
Reflection Questions:
When was the last time that you were hungry in your spirit? From where did the hunger pains come? Were you ever satisfied? If so, how did that happen? If not, does this hunger remain? Where is God in all of this for you?
Five-minute Story:
For all practical purposes, Three Mile rest stop is at the midpoint between the Rim and Indian Gardens on the Bright Angel Trail. After descending the switchbacks for a few hours, I was thankful for a place to sit down. Looking up from that point, you can not see anything on the Rim. All the people, structures, souvenir shops, ice cream stands, hotels, cars - all are beyond your view. On the rocky trail, your focus narrows. There is my legs, my body, and the bodies of those with whom I am traveling.
When we arrived at the rest stop, a trail volunteer greeted us. She had some limited medical supplies if needed and offered her wisdom about the trail. She asked each hiker: about their destination; if they had enough salty snacks and water to combat dehydration; and how they were doing. The canyon can be a dangerous place. Each year approximately a dozen people die in the Canyon. Dehydration and other medical issues are deadly foes.
Later in the day, at this same place on the way up the trail, there was a man in his sixties lying down on a stretcher. The volunteer left her welcoming post and was caring for him and his family. A National Park Ranger was also present. Staying out of the way, I overheard that they were contemplating an airlift. Helicopters are the only way of removing injured people from a trail used only by foot and mule traffic. It is an extremely expensive exit strategy used only when severity demands.
The man’s condition must have improved because I never saw a helicopter. The care of family, park staff, and others must have finally been sufficient to aid his ascent up the three miles to the Rim. Time, rest, care, compassion, community - all of these are powerful medicines.
During this second week of our spiritual journey, I shared stories with you about the human temptation to disconnect with others when the path gets rocky. We do this when we isolate ourselves. When we face a challenging situation, it is all too easy to forget our need for community.
From the beginning, God created human beings and placed them in a community. God hears the cry of the people in slavery in Egypt and sends Moses to lead them to freedom. God sends prophets to call the people to acts of justice for the poor, outcast, and foreigner. God sends Jesus to reach out to broken lives of all sorts and bring the healing of community.
The biblical witness calls us to connect with others. We are not meant to live our lives alone or exclusively with our tribe. Scripture evolves from a couple to a family to a tribe to a nation to all nations. Jesus invites us into this progression in our thinking and acting. It is the path that leads towards God’s intended future for all creation.
When we turn to God, we move beyond ourselves. Suddenly, life is bigger. Our perspective and imagination grow. New possibilities emerge in our field of view. It comes as a gift, a God blessing, good news, and it brings us hope.
Our journey continues tomorrow…