November 9, 2011

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

Today’s reading speaks to me of being present to the moment you are in. Jesus is intimately connected with the brokenness of the crowds and so he heals them. He then is present to their hunger and so he feeds them. He then moves on to Magadan, where he will again be completely present.

How can I imitate Jesus’s example? When I am listening, I will work hard to be listening and not thinking of my response. When I am praying, I will be present to that.

I recall a story of Tolstoy’s that features a king who asks, “What is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?

A wise hermit answers: Remember that there is only one important time and that is now.  The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion.  The most important person is always the person you are with, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future?  The most important pursuit is making the person standing at your side happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.”

Namaste

The Readings

Nehemiah 7:73b-8:3,5-18 (NRSV)

Revelation 18:21-24 (NRSV)

Matthew 15:29-39 (NRSV)

After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." The disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?" Jesus asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish." Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.