The Bread of Life and The Bread-less Lives

Reflection on Mark 6: 30-42 : Exploring the Theme of LWF Assembly 2010           

“How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”38 V

India is home to the largest number of hungry people in the world, accounting for more than 20% of the total. [1] With rise on the inflation in the economy and with the adverse effects of climate change now being realized, food crisis has been a grave need for our times. The ratio of the food production and food consumption has been so glaring that the food produced is not enough to satisfy the needs of the common people. On the contrary huge amount of food grains are exported, which is part of the globalisation technique incorporated into developing countries. Therefore, the old famous saying once again comes to the forefront, ‘India has enough for its needs not for its greed’. With the greed of the few rich people increasing, the needs of the common people are not met. Local foods are now replaced by the fast foods and by tin foods that are imported. Organic food, where most of it is synthetic is slowly pervading the context of food today. What is the way out in the context of food crisis?

Jesus Christ in his times addressed food crisis, which has relevance for our times also. Jesus started preaching to the huge crowds that have been gathered near the shore, and had compassion of people for they were like sheep without shepherd, and began to teach several things. And when it grew late, his disciples informed Jesus to send people away to buy and eat their own food, for that was a lonely place and the hour has been already late. But Jesus immediately was conscious of their needs and attempted to solve the hunger of those people over there.

I. Jesus critiqued the culture of consumerism

When Jesus said to his disciples to give them something to eat, his disciples immediately replied, ‘are we to buy two hundred denarii’s worth bread and give it to them to eat’. Jesus by feeding the five thousand, critiqued the culture of consumerism, where buying from outside is its norm. The culture of consumerism is driven on the very value of profit, which makes the rich richer and the poor poorer and has no concern to the holistic good of the society.

II. Jesus made use of local recipes

When the disciples were more concerned about the cost of the food to be served, Jesus then enquired, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” The disciples found and said they had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus to feed the five thousand made use of the local recipes, the bread and the fish, which were the local staple foods normally people eat.

III. Jesus organised the people into groups

Jesus then commanded the people to be organised into groups by hundreds and fifties on the green grass there, so that the food will be served equally, probably meeting the needs of the children and women with a preferential option.

IV. Jesus broke the loaves and divided the fish

Jesus then took the loaves of bread and fish and looked up to heavens seeking the help of God, the baker of bread and the maker of fish, so that these local recipes would be shared among all people over there. Jesus did this to share among all with what they have, with the available local resources.

V. Jesus would have ordered the disciples to collect the remains

Jesus would have asked the disciples to collect the remains, which they did, and collected it in twelve baskets. This is to teach people there not to waste and to eat according to the need and not according to the greed.

In our times today we as Church need to teach our congregations on food management, food sovereignty, food security, to share, to remind our people to be conscious of the people in need and to make use of the local recipes and resources to combat food crisis. Time and again our churches have romanticised this passage and have described bread and fish as spiritual food to be given to all people around, and have least been bothered about the needs of those people who are hungry and with out food. It is said that “Bible is not a cake to be taken on occasions but is a bread that is to be eaten daily”, and have been self-content with such reading of Bible every day, without living according to it. When we pray daily as “Give us today our daily bread”, this prayer reminds us that we need to be conscious to the needs of those without bread and food, and our prayer needs to be translated into actions. Let us all strive to make our ‘bread of life’ more relevant by sharing food with those that are hungry.

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[1] Times of India, Dec.12, 2008
2. Logo courtesy: http://www.lutheranworld.org/Images/LWF_Photos/Photos_Assemblies/Stuttgart2010/Logos/Assembly2010_logos/2010-Assembly_square-EN-448.gif