Would this meal make you smile? Or would salmon, or pork, or even a crab cake be your culinary delight? We all may have different taste and mealtime desires, but one thing is for certain, there are things that we like to eat and when we do, they bring a smile to our face (and maybe an ache to our belly).
When we talk about being fed, we usually talk about food. Are there other ways that we are fed? Can we be fed emotionally, professionally, or even spiritually? An extrovert is fed by being around people. He or she gets energy from that. On the other hand, an introvert gets fed being by themselves. He or she gets energy from that. If our boss gives us a compliment in front of others, especially our peers or our employees, we are fed by that.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus feeds a multitude with five barley loves and two fish. Jesus performs a miracle and stretched that small amount of food to feed the whole multitude of people. But maybe the real miracle is that Jesus’ message was so powerful that they didn’t want to leave him. Maybe the miracle was that Jesus fed them in another way—a spiritual way.
What do you need to hear this morning? What will feed you, nurture you, make you stronger, more hopeful, more caring, or simply more alive? What could possibly be said that you would want more? That you would feel like you have been given a special gift. That you have been lifted up. Let us hope and pray that message is what you hear this morning.