Oct. 30, 2021
In this story of Jesus feeding 4000 plus people, our focus normally is the miracle
Jesus performs – taking a few loaves and fish and providing a meal for an
enormous crowd. But when I look at the story through the lens of “broken
things,” I see some things I hadn’t noticed before. The lame, the blind, the
crippled, the mute and many others – probably in similar conditions – being laid at
the feet of Jesus, and him healing them. Then I see post miracle, the disciples
gathering up seven baskets of “broken pieces” rather than simply leaving them
discarded on the ground. It seems broken things - people or leftovers – are important
to Jesus. Important enough to focus on them, rather than ignore them. In that is
powerful hope for us individually, and for us as First Church.