Welcome to the Harbor Unitarian Universalist Congregation

GROWING OUR HEARTS
March 6, 2005

When I first heard the story of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fishes I thought it was a miracle. As a young girl, my thinking was literal. As an adult I learned to think of this, and the other parables of Jesus, as meta-phors. I learned to look for the lessons they taught, rather than their literal meaning.

And so I came to think of the story as the origin of the potluck--that ubiquitous institution present in all churches. Potlucks are the modern manifestation of the ancient love feast. One of the first things Jesus taught was that we share our food without sorting our table mates into categories. Jesus did not divide the multitude into those people who were good, and could be invited to dinner; and those people who were for some reason, not good, and thus not fit to eat with. He invited all to share.

This was radical in ancient Israel, and it is radical today. I still think the feeding of the five thousand was a miracle; however, it was a miracle of love, of the growth of hearts, of learning to share with others. Jesus was sure that those five thousand people had not gone on a long walk on a hot day without something to eat and drink. No one did in ancient Israel. He was sure that hidden in cloaks and bags and folds of sleeves were loaves of bread, skins of water and wine, and maybe even some dried fish.

There is an old tradition that it was a few young people, teenagers maybe, who first volunteered their bread to help feed the people. Even though five loaves would not feed five hundred, let alone five thousand people, Jesus took them and spoke the ancient Hebrew blessing. I picture the disciples passing among the people, who slowly unwrapped the food they brought, bread and fish, and shared it with their neighbors. And thus was born the tuna fish sandwiches that we still enjoy at many potlucks.

The challenge remains with us to grow our hearts, so that we can share with joy the food, material goods and wealth that we possess.

It is easy to say--Be generous! Give until you feel good! Love others and share with them! It is easy to say, but sometimes difficult to do. What keeps us from being generous? What keeps us from helping, generously helping, tsunami victims, the starving multitudes of Darfur, the students at E. Grace Loftis School, or Supper House?

The need in this world is great, and we are only one small church. We cannot solve all the ills that we are called to address, but we can make a difference in some people's lives. Members of this congregation have responded generously in many ways. What keeps us from doing more?

I think fear is a major factor. We are afraid that there is not enough. We fear that there is not enough food, clothing, and shelter for everyone to be comfortable--and of course we want to be comfortable. There are good reasons for us to think in this manner. Although pundits tell us that the economy is improving, they also acknowledge that it is a jobless recovery. In many places, such as West Michigan, there have been significant job losses.

You may know that I recently housed four young adults who were searching for jobs. Two of them found brief employment through Manpower. The two who remain with me have found only odd seasonal jobs. West Michigan is not a good place for unemployed people to find jobs.

In addition, many employed people are experiencing job insecurity. No longer do most of us feel that we are safely employed in a job that will give us lifetime security. We fear the loss or diminishment of our jobs, and it is difficult to share when we fear that our future may not include a paycheck.

The political climate adds to our fear. After 9/11 we know that we are no longer safe in Fortress America. We join the rest of the world in realizing that we are not immune to violence. Terrorist activity can strike at any time. Add to this unease the images of tsunami devastated coastlines, hurricane damage in the Gulf Coast and Atlantic states, and tornadoes over Kansas, and we can become consumed by anxiety about possible disasters.

Some of us are old enough to bear scars of the Great Depression. We remember times when our parents worried about having enough food for the family. I was born post-depression, but am deeply affected by it. My parents struggled to get an education, and told stories of scarcity and the loss of family farms. These old messages of deprivation are deep in our bones. We cannot forget that hard times can, indeed, strike at any time.

Fear keeps us clutching our checkbooks protectively. We forget that paleo-anthropologists tell us that the naked apes of the African plains survived and evolved because they learned to cooperate and share with each other. Richard Leakey, of the famous family of anthropologists lost both of his legs in an air-plane accident. Perhaps this heightened his understanding when he was study-ing the bones of early and pre humans found in Kenya. Among them was an intact male leg bone, with a healed fracture. He concluded that the man could not have survived and healed alone, that he must have been supported and cared for by his tribe. Sharing and cooperation are major skills that allowed humans to not only survive, but become the planet's dominant species.

We are social creatures who need to share companionship with others. Our societies become richer and more complex because we draw on the talents of many people, who share their knowledge and expertise. Sharing is necessary for our survival and for our growth.

When we help others, whether through nursing them through an injury, or feeding them food, it makes us feel good. Those of you who serve hungry people at Supper House know that it makes you happy to do so.

Of course, really facing the fact that there are hundreds of hungry people right here in Muskegon is disquieting, and that fact that a large percentage of them are children downright discouraging. However, the knowledge that this congregation is making a positive difference in their lives warms our hearts. And each of you who contributes to Supper House by buying bread and bagels makes a differ-ence. Every one who helps serve the diverse assortment of people who come to Supper House makes a difference. And that makes us feel good.

Helping others is one very important way to give our lives meaning. This can happen in many different venues. Many of us contribute to organizations that help others. We select, out of the myriad of worthy groups that solicit our sup-port, the ones that best reflect our values. Out of those, some of us select a few to which we give our time and talent, as well as our money.

My father-in-law died this last week. His Memorial Service was Friday morning, and the family asked me to give the eulogy. To prepare for it I asked them to share stories from his life with me. I was reminded again how very caring were both my parents-in-law. Engraved on a plaque in their home is a statement from the Special Learning Center in Jefferson City, Missouri. It names Rogers and Thelma Kratochvil the parents of that institution. And it is most appropriate.

Thelma was a schoolteacher, and when she retired, she really went to work. She and Rog, and a few other people envisioned a school for severely challenged children. I saw the first incarnation, a three-room center in the basement of a commercial building. I saw the second, a little larger, with more classrooms and equipment. Today the Center is housed in a new building, designed for the special needs of the children who attend. There are numerous classrooms, a speech therapist, other special teachers, and a large playground. My parents-in-law chaired the fundraising committee that obtained the financing for the Learn-ing Center. They planted trees in the playground in honor of their deceased son and grandson. They suggested to one friend that she might like to play the piano for the children, and until her death she came out once a week to do so. And they supported the school and its staff in as many ways as was needed.

They received a special honor from the United Way for contributing to their community. At Rog's service the director, teachers and parents of the children who they helped came, wiped away tears, and hugged Thelma. However, it was not for honors or gratitude that they did all their work--which they would not have called work. They did it because they wanted to, and because it gave meaning to their lives.

The Rev. Richard Gilbert, one of my mentors, said, "To be is to be for others." It is how he lives his life, it was how Rogers Kratochvil lived his life, and how many happy people live theirs. To be for others gives our lives meaning.

How do we get from the fear of not having enough to finding meaning through sharing with others? It is a tough financial reality out there--so tough that this congregation is behind in receiving its pledges. February is always difficult for Finance chairs and church treasurers. It is post-Christmas, we are paying taxes and high utility bills, and it is easy to postpone paying our congregation. I en-courage you to celebrate the knowledge that spring is really, really on its way by reaching for your checkbook and bringing your pledge up to date.

Given this tough reality, we need to grow our hearts so that we may fully explore the warm glow and deep meaning generosity bestows upon us. I have some suggestions.

First, allow yourself to hear the stories of need. Allow yourself to identify and put a face to the people who need our help. I knew that there were homeless peo-ple, and that Muskegon had quite a few, and that a significant percentage of them were teens and young adults. However, it was not until two of them moved into my home temporarily that I actually knew them personally, knew their stories, their aspirations, and their desire to work and be independent.

I learned a lot. I learned again that not all parents are loving and supportive. I learned that good people can be trapped in bad situations. I learned, from observation, rather than words on a page, that it is a full-time job to find a job. I learned that even young people will pass up minor luxuries when they have a goal they want to reach. I really heard their stories.

I do not expect nor recommend that each of you take one or two homeless people into your living space. We can hear stories in a less drastic fashion. When we take the time to read and think about the reports of unemployment, when we hear from our faith companions that over 125 people showed up for food at Supper House, when we see the sad playground at E. Grace Loftis school, we are metaphorically "hearing" stories of need.

Next, I suggest that we allow ourselves to do some imagining. Here is a series of "what if" questions we might ask ourselves. What if the hungry person at Supper House was my son or daughter? What if I was unemployed and unable to find a job? What if the person who suffered discrimination was my parent? I am asking you to put a known and beloved face on the bare fact of need. Most of us are only a few paychecks away from economic trouble. A recent study shows that the majority of bankruptcies result from overwhelming medical bills of people who have insurance and are working! Putting a face, even imaginary, on the statistic will help us grow our hearts.

Then we can ask ourselves, What if I help? Sometimes one person can make a difference. More often, it takes people working together. We could each feed a hungry person once in a while. However, banding together, the churches of this community are making a big difference in the lives of many people. Five even-ings a week, over one hundred hungry people can come to Supper House and have a hot, tasty meal. We are really helping.

Habitat for Humanity is an organization that is addressing homelessness. Instead of standing by and wringing their collective hands, a small group of people decided to build one home at a time. They recruited volunteers to help, raised money from churches, organizations and individuals--and together they built one home -- and then another home--and then another home.

By opening their hearts to people who needed help, by each one contributing what they could, they are making a difference in people's lives. When they answered the question--What if I help? with their money and their time, they discovered the answer--happy families in their own homes. And their hearts grew even larger.

The third question is What if I don't help? What if I refuse to see the pain, if I refuse to hear the stories, if I can find no possible relation to those in need? Then I fear there will be no change, either for the person in need, or for the person who refuses engagement.

Fear can keep us frozen. Fear can deaden our hearts. Fear can allow us to ignore the reality of the world around us that needs our interest, our engagement and our love.

Opening your heart to the needs of the world, really hearing the stories, and putting a face on the person in need will help grow your heart. Exploring what might happen if you answer the call to help helps grow your heart. And looking at the results of what might happen if you refuse to help serves as a wake-up call.

Mary Oliver looked at the story of Jesus feeding the 5000, and she wrote of love, of the felt ferocity of love, the felt necessity of love. I think she was thinking of the large heart of Jesus--Jesus who looked at hungry people and loved them, and who challenged the multitude to share what they had. They responded generously. In the exaggerated language of story, there were 12 baskets of bread and fish left over, after everyone ate until they were satisfied.

The story concentrates on Jesus, and does not tell us what happened to the 5000 after that day. Some of them followed him, hearing more stories. Some of them went home and said, "Oh, well that was interesting. I wonder what the next wandering prophet will do to top it?" However, I think something else happened.

When people share, they build a relationship. They learn from each other and they are no longer isolated and alone. Their hearts grow, and they are not the same. They learn to love more deeply. I think the experience of the people who shared their food made a difference in their lives. They experienced the warm glow that generosity lights. They related to their friends and neighbors in a different way. Their lives acquired a deeper meaning.

Let us learn to do the same. Let us share with our faith companions, and in the life of this congregation. Let us share with our families and friends, and with the larger community. Let us grow our hearts, so that we may have the courage to reach out to those who need.

Amen.
Blessed Be.
Shalom
Saalat.