Refugees.
This “crisis” is a web being spun out of control, growing so large that its silky strings are being spun from Syria, across Europe, and quickly making their way into our home. This crisis is near. Lost and weary, separated from family, wandering with no sight of the end. It’s a heartbreaking sight that leaves many of us feeling empty and helpless.
I just don’t have what it takes to solve this problem. Our talents will do little in the wake of so much need. We may have ideas for the solution, but how do we actually help? There’s this huge problem staring us in the face, but we have nothing but inadequacies to offer.
I know another story of a person who faced a problem with nothing but inadequacy. He was a poor, little boy who found himself in the midst of a crowd of a couple thousand. They had followed a famous guest speaker to a country hillside where there were no vendors in sight. When the guest speaker saw how hungry the crowd was after one of his talks he decided to provide some lunch for them, but his assistant had to break the news that their budget couldn’t cover the cost for all that food. Besides, it would take far too long to place the order and transport the food back from the distant town. All in all, it was proving to be a bad idea.
But the guest speaker didn’t mind how complicated it would be; he wanted to do it. The poor, little boy overheard the speaker and his assistant discussing the problem and he decided he would help. That morning his mom had packed him a simple lunch: a tunafish sandwich sliced in two. Even though he really liked tunafish he chose to step forward, inadequacies and all, and offer up what little he had.
While the assistant rolled his eyes at the sandwich, the guest speaker, who happened to be named Jesus, welcomed the little boy’s gift without complaint. Jesus had unwavering faith in God his father. He believed that the problem of 5,000 hungry bellies could be more than provided for. He believed that God would use what little had been offered, because none of the it had been held back. So he blessed the food and started passing it out. He kept passing it out until the entire crowd had to send it back because they were far too full to eat anymore. There were twelve baskets nearly spilling over with the leftovers.
What if that little boy hadn’t given Jesus his lunch? What if he had held back the little he had simply because it could never come close to solving the enormous need? He wouldn’t have enjoyed a feast provided for thousands, nor would he have witnessed the miracle of collecting up 12 baskets of leftovers when what they started with could barely fill one.
Miracles don’t make sense. That’s what makes them miracles. No quick “solution” to the Refugee Crisis makes much sense either. But just so you all know, God’s already doing miracles in this Crisis. He’s already providing abundance out of our inadequacies. If you don’t believe me, just read this blog and you might start to join in my faith.
For about the last three months I’ve been envisioning the island of Lesvos as that hillside where Jesus fed so many thousands. I never thought God would take this image and turn it into a reality. I figured it was a metaphor for the endurance He’d supply my team during the two short weeks we will be serving there. But I hear him loud a clear: He has some bigger plans in mind.
You’ve got my attention God–I’m listening now.
We are still in need of funding before we head to Greece next week. If you feel led to give you can donate here.
The miracle described in this post is found in all four Gospels: Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9; John 6
