This week has been difficult at work. Decisions from higher-ups have left me feeling bewildered, uncertain, and unvalued. My interpretation of the reading I chose for today reflected that.
My second reading this week was from John 6:1-14. This was another “Imagine yourself in the scene” activity. I imagined myself curious as I wandered after the crowd that was following Jesus. Some grasped his robes, begging for healing. Others pushed their children into his arms, seeking blessings. Some watched him warily. Many, like me, were just curious. His fame preceded him and we wanted to know if he was as great as the tales would have us believe. By the time we reached the field on the mountain - perhaps a shelf or plateau or saddle - most of the women and children had dropped away, leaving only men and a few older boys and me.
One of the boys carried a basket of bread and salted fish, probably diverted on his way home from the market. When Jesus declared the people (read: men) must be fed, the disciples commandeered his basket. Then they passed out the food to the men, who must have been ashamed seeing the boy lose his entire basket, because they coughed up whatever they were carrying stone soup style so in the end, everyone had food. I hoped someone would remember to return the boy’s basket with food for his family, but with his usefulness ended, the disciples apparently forgot entirely that he existed. I have felt a lot like that boy this week.
The activity asked, “In what way are you hungry?” I’m seeking a spiritual community that embodies the phrase “All are welcome” without shame or fear or discrimination or erasure, a community that meets people where they are and accepts them for who they are, even when the members don’t understand them. My favorite line in the Nicene Creed is “We believe in one holy catholic apostolic church”. That is the community I want, where what and how you believe don’t matter nearly as much as being part of the community and supporting and being supported by the community.
The image below is of a beaded flying dragon-type serpent called an amphiptere. Read more about it on deviantArt. I wanted to pick an art piece more relevant to the story, but I’ve never made beaded bread and apparently I never posted my beaded basket online. Mountain made me think dragon, so here we are. Also, it’s spring (for a few days, until we get more snow) here in Minnesota, so pastel feels appropriate.
This post is part of my Lent 2025 Imaginative Readings series.
