“When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send them away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.'”
—Matthew 14:15 – 18
A popular term these days in the world of fundraising is “donor fatigue.” Apparently, it’s a condition from which we suffer when we’re asked too often to be generous. Well, I don’t know about you, but I find that being generous can actually be kind of exhilarating. I also remember that I learned about it way back in Sunday school.
The world has spent the past few months trying to come to terms with the scale of East Africa’s famine. It is, admittedly, something difficult for us Canadians to fathom too readily. In my neck of the woods, I’ve missed the occasional stop sign because of the season’s massive corn crop (or at least that’s the story that I’m sticking with). Everywhere I look, from supermarket to farm gate vendor, the choice of delectables is outstanding. No doubt, this year’s pumpkin will suffer the same fate as last year’s: either a compost pile or a vandal’s roadside smashing. Such a reality is, of course, unimaginable in the Horn of Africa.
I suppose we sometimes get to feeling that what we have to offer is not very helpful. We quickly look toward those whom we consider to be wealthier than ourselves and we think, “Couldn’t they just give a little more?” And then along comes a biblical reminder that God’s math is way beyond our simple calculations. When the disciples saw that the listening crowd of thousands was hungry, their bright plan was to send them all away to the neighbouring villages to search for food. Jesus, on the other hand, saw a teachable moment. “You give them something to eat,” he told them. “Out of what vast storehold?” they must have questioned. But that’s Jesus’ message, isn’t it? It’s not about vast storeholds. If faith as small as a mustard seed can lift a mountain into the sea, imagine what a few loaves and fishes can do. And if a few loaves and fishes can feed 5,000, imagine what extravagant generosity can achieve!
But it starts with seeing that what we give is not a token or a tax break or something we won’t miss, but a sacrament of ourselves, a portion of what was once in our hands which can be better used in the hands of a sister or brother. Whether it nourishes a homeless person, or a forgotten resident of a distant indigenous community, or a malnourished child in Africa, the legacy is the same: God uses your gift for something that only God’s Spirit can achieve, and it is a holy thing. The simple act of offering your gift, no matter its size, in the name of the One who gave himself for us all, is the opportunity for God to work powerfully through you. And imagine the joy in sharing the leftovers!
Grace and Peace,
