As we just heard, more than 5000 people had gathered to listen to Jesus and now they were hungry. The disciples noticed the need but took no action. “Dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves,” they urged Jesus. Doesn’t that sound so familiar? Let someone else solve the problem! But Jesus throws the ball back at them. “Give them some food yourselves.” What he said to them, he is saying to us, you can make a difference.
The only food around were five loaves and two fish, food that according to John’s gospel likely belonged to one boy. That boy gave what he had to Jesus, who then fed the hungry crowd. The boy’s generosity provided Jesus with an opportunity to show that an individual’s actions can make a difference.
The late newspaper columnist, Art Buchwald, illustrated this point with a story about his friend, Oscar. One day as they were getting out of a cab, Oscar said to the driver, “You did a super job of driving.” The cabbie looked at him and replied, “Who are you? A wise guy?” Oscar said, “Not at all. I really mean it. I admire the way you moved about in the traffic.” “Yeah, sure,” the cabbie mumbled as he drove off.
“What was that all about?” asked Art. “I’m trying to bring love back to New York,” replied Oscar. “How can you do that?” Art asked. “Take that cabbie,” Oscar explained, “I think I made his day. Let’s suppose he has 20 fares today. He’s going to be nice to those 20 people. They, in turn, will be kinder to other people. Eventually, the kindness could spread to a thousand people.” Art said, “You are developing into a nut.”
Just then they passed a construction site. The workers were on their lunch break. Oscar walked up to a group of them and said, “That’s a magnificent job you men are doing.” The workers eyed Oscar suspiciously. “When will it be finished?” Oscar asked. One of the hard hats grunted, “Next June.” “That’s great,” Oscar said, “It will be a splendid addition to the city.”
As they continued their walk, Art said to Oscar, “Boy, I haven’t seen anyone like you since the Man of La Mancha.” “That’s OK,” Oscar replied, “You can joke, but when these men digest my words, they will be better for it.”
“But,” Art argued, “even if they are better for it, you’re still only one man and one person can’t change New York City.” Oscar responded, “Yes he can. The big thing is not to get discouraged. Bringing love back to New York is not easy, but if I can get others to join me in my campaign, a difference will be noticed.”
Oscar’s message resonates with today’s gospel. One person can make a difference. One person can be an instrument for a miracle. If one concerned person can be the instrument for helping others, imagine the difference many concerned people can make.
Years ago, a middle-aged woman left behind a teaching career at a boarding school and walked into the slum of India’s largest city. She had two dollars in her purse, no income or place to call home. All she had was a deep conviction that God was calling her to make a difference in the lives of the poor and the dying. She felt that her needs would be taken care of.
That woman was Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. By the time she died in 1997 she had built 80 schools, 30 homes for the dying, and 70 clinics for lepers, all staffed by more than 40,000 workers. She had nothing to start with but the equivalent of a few loaves and fishes, but she made what she had available to God, who in turn, has made them available to thousands of people in need. She showed that one loving person could start a tidal wave of love.
The issue here isn’t just physical hunger. Months ago, our parish pledged to support Good Cheer, our local food bank, with our “3 peas in a pod” drive, urging you to bring paper products, protein products or personal hygiene products on the first weekend of each month. These items, which Good Cheer finds too costly to buy enough of, are items that even the poor need. Whatever you bring will make a difference in someone’s life next month and if every family brought one “pea” each month, imagine how many bags we could fill. In May, we donated over 300 lbs. but last month our donations dropped by half. The need is still there for Good Cheer feeds an average of 800 families monthly.
Mother Teresa used to say that the trouble with the world is that we’ve all forgotten that we belong to one another. It is easy to talk big about being God’s children and to say that Jesus is our brother, but do we really mean it? Do we live like God’s children or the sisters and brothers of Jesus? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Some times it takes a special experience to remind us what our kinship is all about: namely, being with one another.
Paul asked, “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” He then suggests that nothing can, but I am not so sure. Our selfishness, our reluctance to reach out to others in need could separate us from the love of Christ. God depends on us to do our share. Our poor, limited small talents, taken and blessed by him, are returned to our hands to share with others. If we fail to do so, both our gifts and his blessings go wanting.
If we should ever feel unloved by God, we have only ourselves to blame. As Pogo, a famous cartoon character of the mid 20th century whom many of us remember fondly, often said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”