First, I just want to let everyone know how excited we are to move to Phase II of our webcast strategy. Especially to lose those annoying pop-up ads and bring you a much higher quality stream. Thanks to Matt, David, Thad and everyone else who has been working double-time to get it all in place.
So, this thirsty hungry thing? Jesus usually ends up leaving me with more questions than concrete answers. I’m assuming that is on purpose.
So, I’m wondering…does he mean the metaphorically hungry and thirsty or, like, really hungry and thirsty. So, of course, he’s smart enough to realize that you can talk on a couple levels at the same time. Even so, I have some experience with playing to an audience. One of the tenets is that you want to make a point, hit them wear they live.
I think the place those people lived was pretty tenuous. I’m guessing that being hungry and thirsty wasn’t an uncommon thing. They “got it” like I don’t really get it. I’ve never really been that hungry or thirsty…at least not enough to be worried about it.
So, I think Jesus is saying…
Blessed are the people who walk across the desert to come to America and find themselves in a tough, sometimes brutal and lethal, spot.
Blessed is the homeless guy digging around in the dumpster at Beyond Bread because they throw out a bunch of loaves every night at closing.
Blessed are people with AIDS when their bodies won’t use the nutrients from the food they eat, so they waste away without nourishment even though their plate may be full
So, on the surface, he’s kind of missing me. It’s like, “Wow, I just really need to be in bad shape before this one counts at all. Thanks a lot. I’ll just skip this one. Next Beatitude, please.”
However, when I pause, it occurs to me that if I’m working on that hierarchy of my own needs and development, I have hungers and thirsts that are just a real as the lack of food and water. Though not as immediately dire, painful or life-threatening. I’m fortunate not to be struggling with some of the more visceral manifestations of hunger right now. Even so, my needs for everything from food and shelter to some form of communion with the sacred on a different scale probably come from the same place. Essentially, whatever interrupts my humanity (or your humanity) stops me from my natural, organic experience of living into the divine nature of this incredible universe.
Hunger and thirst at every level is a distraction…a sort of obstacle to wholeness. I need to be physically, mentally and spiritually firing on all cylinders. I need food and water for my body, my mind and my spirit.
Pretty sure Jesus understood that. When he did that thing with the loaves and the fishes, or produced extra wine for the wedding, he was, I think, pointing out that the Kingdom is an abundant place flowing with what we need in every way. It’s a party, and no one should leave the party hungry or thirsty…even though they may show up that way.
And just in case Darkwood Brew isn’t enough “Hungry” for you this week, check out this episode of Snap Judgement…all about being…
