Thursday, January 26, 2017

Devotion - Thursday, January 26

We make it a habit during the Christmas season to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" at least once.  There is a scene in the movie, in the Bailey Building and Loan, the day of the 1933 bank run in Bedford Falls.  Folks come insisting they be able to withdraw their money.

The first couple of folks want all their money.  Disaster seems to be looming.  The next person, however, only asks for enough to buy her groceries for that week.  

It is called the fear of scarcity.  We are afraid there isn't enough, so we horde or accumulate.  When we are not fearful of running out, we find there is enough to share and to spare.

I was reading Mark 6 this morning.  It is this Gospel's recounting of the feeding of the 5,000.  There are only five loaves and two fish - but it proves to be enough.

Read the story for yourself.  Be impressed at the miracle that happens.  But allow yourself to consider the mechanics of that miracle.  One option lifted by those who study these verses is that the willingness of one person to share their food creates a pattern for everyone.  Is it any less of a miracle if what happened that day was Jesus making known what is possible when we share the few loaves and fish we have?

I worry that our society is tilting ever more powerfully toward a fear of scarcity.  Such fears and the resulting actions moves us away from Jesus instructions to give away a coat if we have two coats.  Such ideologies conflict with the story of the Good Samaritan who risks his own safety and spends his own money to care for the foreigner in need.

Few folks take a firm stand against God and in opposition to the things Jesus taught.  They just sorta start giving in and going along and moving on a path that integrates them with the world around us.  But giving in a bit here and going along some there eventually blinds us to the calling of Christ.

There is enough room to welcome everyone, there are enough houses to shelter everyone, there are enough loaves and fish to feed everyone.  

Why do i believe this? Because the bible tells me so.

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