I never used to really like the story of feeding the 5000..or maybe I just didn't get it. It took me a long time to figure out how to explain it in a way that I could understand and believe.
But one day, I was watching a movie "The Prince of Egypt." Now this is a great movie with a lot of awesome songs. It was during one of those songs that a couple lines stood out to me: when all you have is nothing, there's a lot to go around.
This stuck with me. I don't really know why. It's not even the name of the song, it's just a line stuck in the middle of a verse. And then I looked at the story of feeding the 5000; and the line made sense.
The disciples were afraid they wouldn't have enough to feed everyone. There were too many people! How can we do it! We have nothing. Well, maybe not nothing, just 5 loaves and 2 fish. But that's basically nothing when looking at the crowd. What can we do?
Share what we have, says Jesus. It will be enough. They might not believe it but they start passing it out. And at the end, they have even more than they had at the beginning: 12 baskets full!
I think Jesus knew something that maybe the disciples didn't or he saw something that they couldn't. If each family had something, even just a little something; and if they all shared and passed it along to the next, there would be plenty and more besides.
So next time you think that you have nothing, remember that line: when all you have is nothing, there's a lot to go around. You always have something, God and God's love. They are always with you and they want you to share what you have.
Peace and love,
Michelle
