The death of St. John the Baptist…the greatest of the prophets and cousin to Christ…was one of the saddest moments in Christ’s ministry. When our Lord heard about it, he immediately withdrew by boat to a desert place. But Jesus wasn’t one who could easily hide himself. He was followed by masses of people who wanted to hear His words. These people are not unlike us, when we come to the Divine Services. We are thirsty to be nourished by the sweet words of God!
Time moved on towards evening, and over 5000 men, not including women and children, had gathered in the deserted place high above the banks of the Sea of Galilee. The disciples become anxious, and urged Christ to dismiss the people from His presence so they can go get something to eat and refresh themselves. Yet Christ denied their request, and instead gave them a command: “Give them something to eat!”
The disciples were astonished! They only had five loaves and 2 fish with which to feed this massive crowd. In that very moment, the disciples forgot something that I think we often forget when faced with one of life’s many challenges. They were too overly concerned with their limitations, that they forgot Who it was that is in their presence.
St. John Chrysostom tell us: “Although the place was a desert, He who feeds the universe is present. Although the day is over, Christ and His words are ever present, never submitting to time or element, never yielding to mortality”.
This is something that often happens to us, especially in moments when we are stressed out or worried about one of life’s many trials. We forget that God is in our midst. We experience His presence in the Divine Services, in the reception of the Holy Eucharist, throughout the day in our prayers and in our conversations with Him…yet despite His presence in our lives, there are still moments where we become like little “Marthas”. We become worried and anxious about things that are beyond our control.
Today in Ukraine, as the faithful were going to attend the Divine Services, no doubt many of them were worried if the government would show up at their door in order to close them down. In our own country and throughout the world, during the pandemic, we had worries about an unknown virus that was supposedly killing our brothers and sisters if they happened to touch an amazon box.
On a persona level, we worry about all kinds of things. We are anxious about our health. We fear being alone or losing a spouse. We fear the market and how it might affect our jobs. We worry about our friendships and our family. Perhaps one that I hear often is the worry associated with loved ones who are not in the Church. Parents often worry about their grown children who have been swayed by the world to either ignore or forget the life that Christ offers us. This is one of the biggest regrets of parents, who become heartbroken when their children stop praying and stop attending Divine Services.
In all of these moments that bring tremendous worry, anxiety, and stress…what can be done? What is missing in our moments of forgetfulness? The remembrance that in the middle of the desert, God is With us.
I have spoken to the catechumens and inquirers who have been beginning their journey to Holy Orthodoxy about the tremendous challenges that await them spiritually. The Church likens our lives to being in the midst of the stormy sea, with the waves smacking us “to and fro”. Coming into the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, and beginning this life of Metanoia means coming into the boat of the Church. But I remind them that having God in our boat doesn’t mean we won’t face storms. It does however mean that nothing, especially those things that are out of our control will ever sink us.
For the Ukrainians and the Palestinians facing persecution, like in the times of persecution under Nero, Diocletian, Caucescu, and Lenin, they take comfort and strength in knowing that the gates of hell have never, and will never prevail against the true Church.
For those who have lost a loved one, we who have Christ do not grieve, as St. Paul says, like those who have no hope in the resurrection…knowing that there will be a moment when we will embrace each other again.
For those who have loved ones outside of the boat of the Church, we rely on God to support us while we, through our prayers, throw life savers to them…keeping them from drowning in the sea of life until they decide to come into the boat.
Through it all, God is will us. He was with the disciples that day in their moments of doubt with the 5000, and when they remembered Who it was that was with them, they obediently brought the little offering of 5 loaves and 2 fish that they had…and watched our Lord go to work. This also is our response to situations that are beyond our power and beyond our control. Offer what little we have to offer through our prayers, support, and love for one another…and watch God to work.