Is Our Lord playing with us?
From seven loaves
and some fishes,
he feeds four thousand men
and produces seven baskets
of leftovers.
Why the leftovers?
Is He just showing off?
Is He trying to show us
the superabundance
of God's love by being wasteful?
Is this an example
for us to follow?
[PAUSE]
Clearly,
our environment shows that
we have played fast and loose
with the things of this Earth.
We have wasted so much.
There is plastic everywhere.
Seas and rivers are polluted,
and animal species
are suffering as a result
of our exploitation
of the environment.
But then,
we don't even treat our own selves
any better.
We even see our own bodies
as playthings
to do with as we will.
We seem to think of ourselves
as ghosts
which live in bodies
and have a right to enjoy them
in whatever way we deem fit.
We don't see ourselves
as one unity,
body and soul together.
If we have such
flagrant disregard for
our own selves
how can we care about the environment?
[PAUSE]
Seven baskets of leftovers.
What do you think
the disciples did?
Ate them up themselves?
Gave them to the poor?
Fed the birds?
We are not told
what happens to them,
except we know
that everyone had
enough to eat.
So it's unlikely
that these leftovers
we're eaten by someone
present,
even the disciples,
or even the Lord.
But one thing that
we can trust
is that they didn't go to waste.
These leftovers fed something
or someone.
Someone got the benefit
of so much leftovers
fish and bread,
from a hungry person
to hungry mould.
What is left is recycled
and reused,
because that is the way
that God has ordered Nature,
in order to be beautiful.
The Lord is generous,
not wasteful.
But we are wasteful,
because we use what we have
in a way that shows God
that we do not have the same
love, care and attention
to His Creation
as He does.
We are the only animal that can sin
because we are the only animal
that can understand
not only what's going on
but also how we can use
everything to our advantage.
We fail to see ourselves
as part of God's Creation
but rather think
that we are beings with our own
God-given rights
while closing our eyes to our
God-given responsibilities.
[PAUSE]
Our Lord's Holy Incarnation
shows that He has so much regard
for what He has created.
Given that we have fallen
into the sickness of sin
we have infected,
not just each other,
but the whole world
with this sickness.
Our Lord comes to bring Salvation:
health to us
health to the world
in the New Heaven
and the New Earth
which He promises us.
We cannot undo
the damage that we have done
by bringing Sin
into the world,
but can bring
the Christ's superabundant love
in to relieve the effects of that damage.
If Christ will pour seven extra baskets
of bread into the world
after feeding four thousand,
then we can rest assured
that it will be no waste
but will bring good nourishment
where nourishment is lacking.
[PAUSE]
We are creatures of God.
We deserve respect
because we exist,
not as playthings
neither of God,
nor of others
nor of ourselves,
but as beings capable
of bearing into the world
the seven baskets of love
over and above
the love that God has given us.
We do not play with Salvation,
we live it
and bring to those who need it
the One Who brims over
with that Salvation.
No comments:
Post a Comment