In the story of the feeding of the 5000, (Matthew 14:13-21) I've always been concerned with the debris:
The bits left over,
what of those?
Pieces left strewn around,
no longer required.
A plethora
of scraps,
yet Christ leaves none discarded
but calls for all to be gathered in,
saved and treasured.
Baskets filled with an extravagance-
excess cherished.
Symbolism
that can only be imagined.
A hungry crowd,
a boy's packed lunch,
a great big picnic.
People fed
and still enough
to go on sharing
the blessing,
abundance,
and grace of God.
This brings back so many memories. My very first sermon (28 years ago) was this text and this very title. I'm wondering today if I preach with the same title. The "left-overs" are different but my feelings about THEM are the same.
ReplyDeleteI saw the picture with your poem and I immediately thought of Mt. Everest and all the trash left behind by all the people who have attempted to climb it No, we don't know that happened to the crumbs in the feeding of the 5000 but I was given pause to think about how much better a place God's creation would be if we cared enough to pick up trash, care about what we throw away (plastic waste in oceans), and how we treat/mistreat the air we breath, the water we drink, and the land which is a precious commoditity.
ReplyDelete