Abundance vs. Scarcity

Matthew 14:13-21

This week I witnessed what felt like another miracle at Lakewood UMC. On Tuesday, we hosted an event coinciding with the "National Night Out" event that celebrates first responders like police and fire fighters and encouraged neighborhoods and organizations to host get togethers where police and fire fighters would be invited to attend.

We didn't invite first responders this time around, but we did collaborate with a neighborhood group called "Lakewood Left" to put together an event that would bring neighbors together. Young and old. Housed and unhoused. Our hope was a rainbow of diversity across as many spectrums as possible.

We were planning to provide food by grilling burgers and hot dogs in the part of our parking lot near our community garden, invite organizations that can offer services and information for those who need them, expand the meal to a potluck affair, have outdoor carnival games for kids, and to complete the night with a movie that everyone can watch on a mild summer evening.

What happened instead was an imminent threat of severe weather. In the morning we were tentatively wondering how we could transition the event to a safer location in case of rain and lightning. Ultimately, we decided to have our event half outdoor under our covered main entrance and in our parlor--and we decided to show the movie in our sanctuary.

I was still nervous. In my mind, this weather and being in a different place on our property than what we had been putting out into the world for a week and a half would severely depress turnout. A lot of work and coordination had gone into this event.

I kind of felt the way the disciples felt in Matthew 14 as Jesus healed a crowd of thousands of sickness. They probably were also worried that the longer things would happen, that there would be a point when things would start to fall apart since people would likely get hungry. They anxiously turned to Jesus and warned him, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

But we know this story--Jesus instead looked to the disciples and said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” But the disciples only saw scarcity in that moment--"We have nothing left here but five loaves and two fish!" But Jesus didn't give into to that narrative.

We always characterize this story as Jesus feeding the 5,000. But the crowd was likely much larger than that. Here is how scripture describes it: "And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children."

Maybe Jesus' miracle included recognizing that there was more food present in this crowd than the disciples noticed.

I was guilty of being skeptical that anyone would show. But I was wrong. We had over 60 people, most of whom have never walked into our church before, ranging in age, economic status, housing status, and ethnicity. It truly was one of the most diverse gatherings of people I have ever seen come together at our church! Candidates running for office brushed shoulders with our neighbors experiencing homelessness. It was honestly beautiful.

And there was no lack of food at all. We had more than enough. It felt like a miracle. And in the days following this, I am so grateful.

And I am humbled to remember that its easy for anyone, even one like myself that talks about it all of the time, to not recognize abundance even when I should know better!