Making room

Do you recall the Dursley’s House? The one where Harry Potter was kept under the stairs – out of sight, out of mind. Yes, he was brought out for high days and holidays (wasn’t that supposedly holy days?) but in general it’s back under the stairs for you lad. Aunt Petunia “felt she had no choice” but to take Harry in, but did so grudgingly. Making room for others can be problematic at times.

Why wasn’t Harry seen as part of the family, to enjoy all that may do? Possibly he didn’t fit in with their expectations. They didn’t want him in the first place, in comfy suburbia. He may also have highlighted the past linkages to family members whom they do not want to be associated with.

Paul’s acceptance of others

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Eph 3:14-21) we read of falling to our knees, whilst also testing the length, depths and heights of God’s love. Possibly in the original Greek the dimensions might have been more three dimensional. There’s a lovely line (Eph 3:19) which reads “Live full lives, full in the fullness of God“. As one who is coming to terms with a loss of a friend and colleague, it has offered that reflection of life is more than we know of it here on Earth. Rather than measure it in terms of years, months, days, possibly focus upon life as a capacity of being with God.

I’m led to believe that worship on our knees was very much akin to gentiles but not to Jews, especially of that time. He was including others, making room for others. Although kneeling is mentioned within the Holy of Holies, Jewish Law forbade kneeling on material on a stone floor. Then again, this letter from purportedly Paul, was written to Gentiles in and around Ephesus, Turkey today. It is believed that was written around the time that Paul was in prison in Rome, possibly 60-62AD but some consider it to be a copy around 80AD. Some cite that this letter from Paul lacks his style of theology. It might well be that he was writing with particular emphasis : what may be missing isn’t neglected theology but wasn’t relevant in this letter.

gods gods everywhere plus sheep

The letter starts with a reference to those in Ephesus, a city of around a quarter of a million folk, which has a enormous amphitheatre and the Temple of Artemis, wonders of the world. It certainly is an eclectic mix of people there. Paul is extolling the readers of this letter, many of whom may not have met with Paul in his time in the city years before, that Christ isn’t one you hide away for high days and holy days. There were many gods worshipped in Ephesus, even the unknown god. Oddly this relates to where sheep might stop to graze.

So who is our unknown God? Where do we keep our God in-between services? Do we go and search to where God is working in our city or expect God to parade in front of us, and expect us to bow down, kneel and worship God?

Whereas we would speak of butterflies in our stomach, Greeks would know that our emotions lie deep within our bowels – not our head. It is only if we truly open ourselves up to Christ may we find him. Christ isn’t an academic prize, one we can keep on the bookshelf, a prize copy for reading later. Our God is one where we can feel, experience, be with – whatever the circumstances.

Unlike the Dursleys, we can’t keep Christ hidden, but allow God’s love to be felt by all generations. We need to make room for Christ.

Picnics

Do you remember the Picnic bar? They were full of caramel, wafer, grapes (!) and peanuts. They were supposed to fill you up. I recall pictures of picnic baskets on the TV where this wicker basket would be opened to reveal hidden treasures. There was the china dinner set, regulation cups and saucers, knife, fork and spoons of all sizes and of course the proverbial afternoon tea. It must have been the Tardis in there. Here’s the four person variety of today:

Biblical picnics back in Jesus’ day seemed to be different. In the Synoptic Gospels we read of Jesus, filled with compassion, feeds the 5000 (men) and then the 4000 (men). In John’s account there is something of a retelling of the story. The crowd are following him, not out of hunger but because of the lure of miracles.

We are often drawn by the sheer wow and amazement of the miracles we might read of God in the pages of the Bible, when following God is also in the humdrum days as well. Do we follow a football club only when they win the league? What happened when three footballers missed their penalty? Suddenly social media abuse beckons. Are we in it for the long run? Where’s the substance in our faith?

One lad, who is seemingly come prepared – must have been a scout – has brought along sufficient food for a large family: 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus does the honours and gives thanks for this food. It’s a simple acknowledgment of what has been given. There are no special words. There is no reference to anything soon to come in his life. But people’s appetites are sated: first with the bread and then with the fish. It seems awfully like communion to me, but without the sacrificial bit.

Abundance

Then again, I wonder if our focus upon Communion is heavily upon the sacrifice and not on the sheer abundance of God’s gift to us. Yes, they can be linked, but it’s the emphasis which is important, just like with Paul’s letter.

This picnic account is very short but the actual celebration must have taken hours. I invite you to reflect a while on this scene: of the hill possibly bathed in sunshine. Of the myriads of people all in conversation. Of the disciples in amazement taking these five loaves – he did say five, where is this all coming from? – to all of the people. And then the fish… There is a word to describe this. Abundance.

Five thousand people ( no reference to only men here) were fed and 12 baskets of leftovers remained – one for each of the tribes of Israel. The significance of the metaphor is heavy. What might have been our response to this? Would we have shared our food, made room for others so that our faith was clear for all to see?

Their response

Make him a king! Why is it we need to promote people to higher positions when we were all quite happy with them in their capacity as loved before? Not only were they wishing to have a figurehead to possibly fight their battles with their opponent (Rome?) but they wanted constant filling.

Could we book Jesus to return next Tuesday and do the same?

It may be like the adage about the man and the net. What was it? Give the person a fish and you can feed them for a day. Give them a net and they can feed themselves (and others) for life. God’s love is given to us freely, just as these loaves and fish. The promise is there. But we don’t sit back on that hill and enjoy the sunshine but we also have to get up and distribute food to others, to play our part: to even “be the net”. Not to catch people but to effectively be part of the local community to support others.

Jesus is not our vending machine where we can get God to give us what we need, but to be with God and to do God’s work wherever we are in Glasgow and beyond. Think of that time on that hillside, possibly having a chat with Jesus as he passes by: resting with God. Oh how good that feels. And then it is up and off to feed others. Oh this feels really tiring but it is all part of being a disciple. Follow Christ, be filled to abundance, and support others whomever they are on the hillside where you live.

Make room for Christ, not just for Christmas, for high days or holidays.