In our culture where food is present in abundance how come so many hunger and thirst? We maybe not admit that we are hungry or thirsty. We may fill ourselves with business or even just routine to keep our hearts and minds filled. We may try to fill our minds and hearts with stuff to help us avoid looking at the reality of our situation. What does the feeding of the multitude mean to us in our culture today? The invitation from Jesus in the gospel is to not be satisfied with food that perishes. How is it that we are satisfied with this kind of food?
As we look at our spirituality in relation to the metaphor of food for our soul, what are we eating? How are you feeding yourself? Could it be described as spiritual fast food or even spiritual junk food? How do I create for myself a diet of healthy spiritual nourishment? What does a holistic approach to spirituality look like? We need to be looking at how we feed ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually, and not just concentrating on one aspect of our being. We cannot compartmentalize ourselves for we are interconnected in all these areas of our life and each part affects the others.
Food security is a global and a local issue. What ever happened to the High Street where we could find a butcher, a baker and a dairy? How come our food seems to be trucked in from far away places? Where is the security in the local context, or in the context within which we are now seemingly trapped?
The miracle of the feeding of the multitude is about food security. If the governing body has control over the food, it has control over the populace. In the context of Jesusʼs day the ruling classes and the occupying forces of the Roman army were those who had control over the food and thus over the population. Today are we looking at Mordano?
In this miracle Jesus moves the control of the food away from the rulers and places it into the hands of the people.
The miracle can be explained in several ways. Even in the simplest way - of people witnessing the generosity of the small boy’s act of sharing his fish and bread and following his example, it is still very powerful.
The act of Jesus on this day moves food controls away from the powerful and places them in the hand of ordinary folk. That act also moves people from being self-centered into a place of mutual support and empowerment. In many ways this act brings together folk who would not normally eat together, or even sit together. It brings together folk from different walks of life and they share freely what they have. It is in many ways a subversive act moving the power away from the powerful and gifting the powerless with a newfound strength.
Food is a spiritual issue. Food security is a spiritual issue. What will it take to change our relationship to food and towards each other?
As Dean of Columbia and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral, Logan McMenamie fulfils roles in both the parish (the congregation), and the diocese (the wider Anglican community spanning Vancouver Island).
You can read more articles from our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking - HERE
