A Generous Extravagance

Nothing signifies abundance like a church potluck.  In the downtown United Methodist Congregation I served as a young deacon, we had a wonderfully diverse congregation:  black, white, Salvadoran, Asian, Mexican – all of which enriched our culinary experience at our potlucks. 

It was Sr. Aguilar who taught me to make authentic Mexican rice.  We would have everything from Southern fried chicken, tamales and spring rolls to refritos and Mexican stew.  And there was so much, there were always lots of leftovers.

Just as in the story from 2^nd Kings we read today – an extravagance of God’s unbounded generosity – as found in this morning’s psalm.

“The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, and you give them their food in due season.  You open wide your hand and satisfy the needs of every living thing.”[1]

In our gospel reading from the book of John we have a retelling of the miracle of the feeding of the multitudes found in the three synoptic gospels which preceded John’s gospel by well over thirty to forty years (Matthew, Mark, Luke).[2]  

John even mentions a seemingly small detail of abundance, “Now there was a great deal of grass in the place…” – another sign of the lushness of God and what was to transpire.

The point here is that God’s abundance was so great, even when beginning with not much of anything – five barley loaves and two fish – like our church potlucks, there was enough from the banquet Jesus served up that the leftovers from the fish and bread were enough to fill twelve baskets!

When I was a little boy, I remember asking Grandma why aren’t there miracles anymore.  One commentator’s answer: to see a miracle, just look at what you now have, little or much – that right there is enough to make a miracle.

The gift of creation is the everlasting Kingdom of God.  And its abundance is meant for all.  Its beauty is all about, even in the tiniest of creatures.

After our Friday gathering, “Suds on the Deck,” at our house, I caught out of my peripheral vision some small movement.  There on my pant leg was a small jumping spider.  Now, you may not know that jumping spiders are among the most intelligent of the arachnid family, with very good eyesight.  I carefully brushed it off and returned it to the deck.

I was enthralled to watch her tentatively explore her new surroundings.  I say “her” because by this time of year most males would have fulfilled their biological purpose and would have passed on.  She, then jumped well over twenty times her quarter of an inch length to the leg of one of the chairs.  I must have sat there some twenty minutes mesmerized by this wondrous creature – more evidence of the expansiveness of the unmerited gift of creation.  God’s bounty is all about.

When two lovers are drawn together, by chance or fate, the miracle is that they find a way to love each other in this often-tragic world.  Christopher and Alexis met on line.  Of all the possibilities, one combination in millions, maybe billions.  And they are so suited for each other!  We absolutely delight in seeing then together.  Jai and I met on a bus heading to Lincoln, Nebraska.  She was sitting on the seat behind me.  What are the odds?  The love and long-distance phone calls, letters and all – signs of God’s gracious bounty.

Wonder at it all is certainly in order.  So is gratitude and our loving response.  We are called to have a theology of abundance, not scarcity.

As we head into November’s election, the American people are presented with two stark visions: one of the expansiveness of the Founder’s vision and one of retribution, vengeance and scarcity.  Will we live into the vision of a republic of equality and opportunity, or will we reserve all the goodies for only the “right” people, the “deserving” people.  Does America mean “all,” or just some?

To those who have trouble with DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion — you’re cutting out a huge swath of the voting public.  You’re cutting out my daughter-in-law and all other women of color.  To demean our vice president as simply a DEI hire is beyond the pale.  Such racist misogyny is not the “politics of addition” that my favorite commentator Mark Shields always talked about.  Not the theology of abundance.

I trust that those who are so cavalierly dismissed will return the favor in November.

Will we cherish the created order and address global warming?  Or how hot has it got to get before we wake from our slumber, from our ignorance?  Of course, we could call it something else.  The wit Andy Borowitz suggested an alternative, “The world’s going to burn to a crisp and then we’re all gonna die.”

God’s faithfulness is seen in the majestic wingspan of a golden eagle.  Still fresh in my memory is a float trip I took with friends through the interior of Alaska.  To be out there in that wilderness is totally renewing.  The bounty is beyond our imagining.  One day, as we drifted around a bend in the river, we startled a golden eagle at its lunch.  It launched from a branch overhanging the river then silently soared just feet over our heads.  I think we let out a collective gasp in amazement at the beauty of it’s majestic eight-foot wing span.  Such is the “glory” of God’s wonders – beauty that is fitting praise to the Lord.

On that trip, of course we had packed adequate food, but most of those freeze-dried packages went unopened.  We caught so many Dolly Varden, an ocean-going trout, that for every meal we had fresh fish.  These were so large, I had to cut them in half to get them to fit in my ten-inch frying pan.  They can be huge, with some getting up to twenty-seven pounds.  God’s free bounty, indeed!

At night the northern lights would dance over our heads, filling the sky with a splendor beyond belief.  Yes, “All your works praise you, O Lord,” and we your servants are transfixed in wide-eyed and open-mouthed amazement.

Certainly, gratitude and respect are in order – as well as care.

Some biblical scholars explain the feeding of the five thousand as a miracle of sharing.  Once the loaves and fishes were divided up and passed around, others opened their hearts and shared what they had brought, resulting in enough to go all around with sumptuous leftovers.  In our greedy, materialistic, self-centered culture, such sharing alone would be considered a miracle.  However it happened, the Gospel of John refers to it as a sign of God’s gracious extravagance.  This is how God rolls — enough for all.  Sharing can be our only response.

All this is God’s gracious gift of something out of nothing – creation ex nihilo.  We didn’t make it.  Any heart pumping warm blood can only respond in gratitude.

This November will we vote to revere this gift, or just pave it over?  Will it be about our common life together or about whoever-dies-with-the-most-toys wins?  As our president said in his Wednesday address to the nation, the idea of America rests with its people, you and me.

What’s your money, time and enthusiasm on?

When it comes to a choice between the politics of greed, vengeance and retribution, or the politics of “God’s free bounty,” my money’s on that soaring golden eagle.  Amen.

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[1] Psalm 145:16-17.

[2] Matt. 14:13-21; Mk. 6:32-44; Lk. 9:10-17,

July 28, 2024
Pentecost 10, Proper 12

The Rev. Dr. John C. Forney
2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145: 10-19;
Ephesians 3:14-21; John 6:1-21 “A Generous Extravagance