Breaking the Fearful Hold of Imagined Scarcity

This week I am preaching on the multiplication of the loaves and fishes in Matthew

as I walked alone this morning

through an already warming countryside

savoring the space

and the smells

the sounds

the sights of nature’s extravagance

it occurred to me that as humans we are trapped by a false sense of lack

or rather we perceive lack where there is no lack

and fail to see the profound place of lack

that causes us to see life from the perspective of scarcity rather than abundance

I have had an 80% (80% done) sermon for days

Not knowing how to end it

My basic understanding is that the miracle of the loaves and fishes

was not so much a matter of multiplication

as of “letting go”

the miracle was that a handful of people with something

were willing to let go of what they had

so that those who had nothing

would have something too.

I concluded that the practical end of the sermon

Would be to challenge people to be aware of every moment

Compassion and generosity is lost

Of every moment when we move to a place of NO

Of every moment when our attitude becomes judgmental

And our thoughts and behaviors those of horders.

Somewhat satisfied I came home

And by accident, rant into this little piece from Brueggemann

Wow!

Just Wow!

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On our own, we conclude:

there is not enough to go around

we are going to run short

of money

of love

of grades

of publications

of sex

of beer

of members

of years

of life

we should seize the day

seize our goods

seize our neighbors’ goods

because there is not enough to go around

and in the midst of our perceived deficit

you come

you come giving bread in the wilderness

you come giving children at the 11th hour

you come giving homes to exiles

you come giving futures to the shut down

you come giving easter joy to the dead

you come – fleshed in Jesus.

and we watch while

the blind receive their sight

the lame walk

the lepers are cleansed

the deaf hear

the dead are raised

the poor dance and sing

we watch

and we take food we did not grow and

life we did not invent and

future that is gift and gift and gift and

families and neighbors who sustain us

when we did not deserve it.

It dawns on us – late rather than soon-

that you “give food in due season

you open your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

By your giving, break our cycles of imagined scarcity

override our presumed deficits

quiet our anxieties of lack

transform our perceptual field to see

the abundance………mercy upon mercy

blessing upon blessing.

Sink your generosity deep into our lives

that your muchness may expose our false lack

that endlessly receiving we may endlessly give

so that the world may be made Easter new,

without greedy lack, but only wonder,

without coercive need but only love,

without destructive greed but only praise

without aggression and invasiveness….

all things Easter new…..

all around us, toward us and

by us

all things Easter new.

Finish your creation, in wonder, love and praise. Amen.”

― Walter Brueggemann