6.1 - Longing to Belong
Have you ever been someplace and felt you did not belong? It may be a small or large group where you share little in common. It happened to me several times during my career when I found myself in a social strata where the air was thin, the intelligence was elevated, or the wealth was extraordinary. For example, one that comes to mind is sitting at Arthur Blank's table in Palm Springs at a dinner, which was in his honor. He could not have been more welcoming and gracious to me. However, the situation did push my "do not belong" button. From South Georgia to Palm Springs is quite a stretch. Chalk it up to insecurity and being out beyond my wildest dreams. Hold that thought for a few minutes, and I will circle back to it before we end today's segment.
I’m in the 6th chapter of John's gospel and the story of feeding the multitudes. Each of the four gospel writers tells the story, but I’ll focus on John's version since we've been following Jesus with him thus far. I once found it strange that the versions differed, but I don’t anymore. We all see things differently.
For instance, Karen and I went with a group to tour the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens. If you ask each person to write their trip account, I’m sure they would differ.
What is John Saying to Me Today?
John’s story was not written as a companion piece to the other gospels to be studied for its differences. It is a standalone story with its message and symbols. I want to see what John wants me to discover. What in this story will open my eyes to a new truth I can apply daily?
6.1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 
This pop quiz was just that—a quick test for Phillip and all the disciples' consciousness. Like all good teachers, Jesus wanted to see how far along his students were. He didn't say, “How are we to buy bread, but where?” It was a curveball intended to do a little consciousness rattling. And that’s when the growth occurs. Phillip takes a swing rather pragmatically and says,
7 “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Phillip and Andrew are rattled. I can easily imagine all of them rattled. I see them huddling as the vast crowd gathers around them, anxiously brainstorming questions and possible answers. With a knot in his stomach, Andrew blurted an idea but quickly realized how foolish it sounded. But was it?
Each person following the prompting of the spirit within will confront those utterly unanswerable questions, those consciousness rattlers, from time to time. We should wrestle with them and know that the answer is already within. Throw all the possibilities on the board, even the foolish ones, and sit with them. The answer will emerge.
10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now, there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Watch the Connections
I like how John connects Jesus to David’s shepherd of the 23rd Psalm as he "makes them sit down in green pastures.” Were there 5000? Did they sit in groups that the disciples could easily count? More than likely, this was a rough estimate, like saying, “There must’ve been 5000 of them!”
11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”I also like how John connects Jesus with Moses and his miracle feeding of the multitudes with manna. It was important for John to draw a straight line from Moses to David to Jesus. Of course, it was God who gave the manna and who is the shepherd in the 23rd Psalm. It is more important for John to draw a straight line from God, who art in heaven, to Jesus among the people. As God fed then, Jesus feeds now. “The word became flesh and dwelt among us,” John said earlier.
Sharing is Caring
Let's take a detour and consider this idea: What if this passage emphasizes the importance of generosity in addition to a food miracle? Switch on your imagination and work with me here. John never says the little boy's fish and loaves are the only food available. Plus, there were additional baskets in the crowd used to collect leftovers. Perhaps Jesus used the bread and fish to illustrate the act of sharing. He may have encouraged them to sit in groups and share their food with those who did not have any. Through sharing, everyone could have more than enough to eat. The miracle was not only the multiplication of food but also the demonstration of the power of sharing.
Sharing goes beyond just giving something away. It represents a shift in perspective from self-centeredness to inclusivity (from “me” to “us”) and from scarcity to abundance. While our bodies prioritize our individual survival, our souls find fulfillment in selflessness and generosity toward others. Sharing is a tangible expression of “love thy neighbor” that benefits both the giver and the receiver. We can witness the profound impact of this principle in our daily lives and our neighborhoods.
Jesus operates out of his spiritual consciousness, where there is no lack. Every question has an answer, all problems have a solution, and there is always enough. This was the key lesson for his disciples. Do you imagine that Jesus was anxious during this demonstration? Me either. What if we walk through life with such a mindset and see what happens? Envision the remarkable results and the freedom from stress.
We’re All Longing to Belong
Now, let's circle back around and address the "do not belong" issue mentioned at the beginning. There's a mystical story in the 18th chapter of Genesis in which God visits Abraham in the form of three men. Abraham invites them to stop and rest. His wife, Sarah, makes bread for them, and he kills the “fatted calf.” Richard Rohr cites the story in his book The Divine Dance and continues it, “He does not join them in the meal, but observes them eating from afar, standing ‘under a tree.’“ “Rohr concludes, “A place at God’s table is still too much to imagine.”
What if John is using the feeding of the 5000 to complete Abraham's story and, therefore, reinforce the change in mindset brought on by Jesus? Instead of man feeding God and standing away from the table, God feeds man in his midst. No doubt Jesus and the disciples sat and ate with the crowd.
Jesus encouraged open and inclusive table hospitality. In the words of Google’s AI feature, “Shared meals were a key part of Jesus' ministry. He and his disciples are criticized for not being selective about who they ate with, and his table fellowship showed his attitude toward the social norms of his time. For example, Jesus sought to eat with people who were hard to love or who society had deemed detestable.”
Trouble arose because people needed help to make this shift in mindset. To them, God was still “up there” to be appeased by man from a distance. Using the story of the feeding of the 5000, John stressed a new paradigm of God with us, in us, and amongst us. If I am to know the Creator, it must be on these terms: in, through, and between me and others.
No one does not belong at the table. As Harry Bosch says, “Everybody counts or nobody counts.” That’s not just my idea. It’s how God shows up in the universe. It's also how we work through our insecurities when someone or some situation pushes our "do not belong here" button. We choose to see ourselves as God sees us, as one who is welcome at the table. Not only that, we see everyone in the same light.
Key Takeaways:
Become comfortable with seemingly unanswerable questions.
Sharing is caring and a great way to expand your soul.
We were created to belong and extend belonging to others.
