August 2, 2020

Many people in our world are hungry and thirsty. This hunger
and thirst go well beyond physical needs for food, security,
and shelter. Many are emotionally and spiritually parched, too.
Behind every act of violence is a soul who hungers. People live
with relationships that actually starve them. They are abused,
exploited, disrespected, laughed at, and marginalized. There is
a lot of confusion and inner pain that needs to be acknowledged
and expressed. We all long to be understood and loved,
even when our inner demons or who I am make it difficult to
be. Do you live with inner confusion and pain? Folks often
wander through life without any real direction or purpose and
take their cues from what seems satisfying or popular at the
moment. The deeper dots of our lives can easily remain unconnected,
and we can find ourselves without grounding, purpose,
or real happiness. Life becomes shallow and without real purpose
as we hunger and thirst for an ultimate love. 

It’s easier to see the physical hungers and thirsts. We try to
respond to these as best we can. Much more needs to be done.
With all that God’s earth can provide, nobody ought to face
sleep at night with a belly that’s empty. It’s sinful. It’s unjust.
But isn’t all hunger unjust? It doesn’t need to be, and it should
not be. Just as no one ought to be physically hungry and
thirsty, there is really no need to be emotionally or spiritually
deficient either. If we have more privileges at our fingertips, it
is easier to try to satisfy our emotional and spiritual hungers
and thirst by acting on impulse or self-indulgence, carelessly
following passions, or by seeking self-destructive ways to dull
the ache of emptiness.

Folks need to know where to look for nourishment and need
the right friends to help them find it. We may not think that we
have enough to respond to and to satisfy all of the needs, but
we do. It doesn’t take much. Five loaves and two fish provided
for a huge crowd. With God, all things are possible. Our faith
provides the direction for where God’s children must go to
find the nourishment they seek. It also tells us how to structure
life so that justice and equity can be a reality for all. It also
tells us how to respond to pain, sinfulness, and confusion.
Come to the water and then help another get there.
©LPi