(Each Saturday, a faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal perspective in this space. To become part of this series, email religion@recorder.com)
By Rev. Dr. CANDI ASHENDEN
(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.” John 6:11-12 NRSV
The feeding of the five thousand, the story of the multiplying of loaves and fishes to feed the hungry crowd, is one miracle of Jesus that is familiar to many of us. It is a story that is often used to demonstrate the power of Jesus and the beauty of how we can all be cared for if we come together. But hearing it read from the Gospel of John recently, I heard something new in this ancient text.
The words from verse 12 jumped out at me with new meaning as they encouraged us to “gather up the fragments … so that nothing may be lost.” Taken at face value, it tells us not to waste, but looking at it more deeply, I see a message about how we are called to treat one another.
We live in a divided and contentious world at the moment, perhaps more so now than ever before. The distance between the “haves” and the “have nots” continues to grow, the tension between members of opposing political parties is escalating, the time we take to understand and truly “see” one another is diminishing. “Us” and “them” has become an accepted way to speak about one another. We have all begun to refer to our country as struggling, as broken.
How will we unite once again? I believe that Jesus gives us the key to answering this in this passage from John. A quick reading helps us understand that we must gather the broken pieces. A closer reading and we see the word “fragments.” A fragment is defined as “a small part broken or separated off something.” Oh, how much is in that tiny little word!
We are not broken. There are not those among us who are broken and those among us who are not. But rather we are all fragments, parts of something bigger, who have become separated. Altogether, we are a people under God, one people, parts of a larger society. Like an elegant vase, accidentally dropped on the floor and shattered into many tiny shards, we are parts of something beautiful. Each piece is an entity unto itself, yet still a fragment, because it needs all the other pieces to become whole.
How different could our world be if we truly saw each and every person, including ourselves, as a fragment? How could this one tiny bit of wisdom from Jesus encourage us to see the person beside us as part of a whole that includes us? Can we dare to imagine the “other” — the disabled woman at the grocery store, the homeless man near McDonalds, the unruly or unclean child on the street, the wealthy one from uptown, the gay man holding his partner’s hand, the Republican, the Democrat, the prisoner, the atheist, the Christian, the face we see in the mirror — as all fragments of one beautiful society? What would happen if we began to view each person we meet as a missing piece of ourselves, rather than someone different and separate from us?
Unity. That is what would come about. It would be impossible to treat one another with anything but respect if we truly understood that each one of us is part of a greater whole. My prayer is that we will all soon recognize that we are fragmented, but not broken. This one shift in perspective can make all the difference.
Athol Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, is an open and affirming community church that offers an extravagant welcome. Led by senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Beverly Prestwood-Taylor, and Family and Outreach Pastor, Rev. Dr. Candi Ashenden, we worship together on Sundays at 10 a.m. Our Church School offers nursery care and interactive classes in which children learn about the Bible through hands-on activities including crafts, computer games, puppets and maps. We host a free Community Meal on the first Friday of the month from September through May. Check out https://atholcongregationalucc.org or call 978-249-6202. We would love to have you join us!