Seven Loaves

In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’ Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. Mark 8:1-10

Seven Loaves

The hunger and need is overwhelming
we throw up our hands, what to do?
yet a few loaves of bread once offered
can feed a small city on the hill.

Our small change sounds hollow
our small offering so very inadequate
we expect to fail at such a challenge
we forget we are never alone.

When hearts and minds change
when we lean in with compassion
when we see brothers and sisters
then the whole family can be fed.

These are not strangers or a mob
they are flesh of our  same aching flesh
shadowed by harsh need and want
they dream our very same dreams.

Seven loaves among so many
became a banquet feast for all
thousands of hearts were lifted
and everyone made it home.