Loaves & Fishes

Sitting in our Broadway office in the heart of Times Square, I noticed that on the wall is a modern artistic rendition of what could be interpreted as a fish and some wheat stalks. It reminds me of the classic Gospel story of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fishes on two different occasions for impossibly large groups of people. From the meager offerings his disciples scrounge up, he takes it in his hands and it becomes a feast for thousands.

This story is repeated over and over through the four Gospels and we've all heard it a lot, so it must be pretty important for our lives. To me it applies perfectly to our work here. We come with whatever simple, inadequate tid-bits we have to offer to the people we serve and then, when we let him, God takes it and performs miracles. With what they had, the disciples could have fed probably 12 hungry people at most, which would have been just themselves, and not a single person they were there to serve. Only when Christ took it in his hands was their offering able to feed the others.

It's a very simple concept and most of us know it well, but it's always good to get a reminder or new perspective to keep us in the habit of making that daily re-commital to God. It also inspires me to recognize time and again how God's work and word can be found in things all around us, if we remain open and aware.