"Because the world is poor and starving, go with Bread"
Living in the Philippines has been difficult for a whole lot of reasons. One of which would be seeing a lot of people living in the streets. Seeing the children and even adults with tattered clothes, going from car to car begging for money or food. My eyes not wanting to see the truth that there are homeless people who have nothing to eat. It pains me. A lot.
Yesterday, Palm Sunday, my family just stayed home to eat fish. And while eating, something struck me. I was reminded when Jesus fed the people with loaves of bread and fish. I'm not really fond of eating fish. Even when we go out to any restaurant, I just don't like fish. Upon knowing I'll be eating fish at home, too, I was telling my mom that I want to eat out to any restaurant. Preferably CYMA, in Shangri-La.
She told me that since it's Holy Week, we should give up some of our "wants" even for just this week.
I was struck with that. I felt like eating fish instead of lamb gyro was a sign to sacrifice some of the things I want for this week. For me, I was being compelled to be simpler; to live without most of the luxuries I have. But this is more than the food to eat. It's far more than that.
"Because the world is poor and starving"
We all live in a world that is hard to get by. More than those people in the streets are people starving of attention, to have people by them because they need them. People who lack of the basic needs of life. People who need and deserve love from people. Love that doesn't necessarily mean in a boyfriend/girlfriend basis. Love meaning the type that we receive and share with our friends and family.
Those people aren't only those in the streets. Some of them seek the help of doctors and institutions. Some of them choose to keep all those problems in themselves. Some of them put on a poker face and hide how they are truly feeling. Maybe because they're not accustomed to opening up to people. That's why we are to reach out to them. We are to get out of our own ways and help them, and who knows, they may also help us in return.
"go with Bread"
Admittedly, I capitalized the "bread" from the original to give a more symbolic take on it. Bread doesn't only mean the one we eat with peanut butter and jelly or the one we eat with the Mayonnaise that has the flavor of ham. Bread could also refer to Jesus. As mentioned in John 6: 35,
"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst,'"
What does this say, then? I guess taking the whole phrase symbolically, this means that we should go and practice the teachings of Christ, predominantly, sharing our time with others, specially those who need it.
Maybe for this moment you can reflect on how you would spend your time with those who need someone. Someone to be there for them. Someone to understand them. Someone to love them. Go out of your own way to reach out to them. It may not be easy. It may be hard, specially if the person doesn't feel quite open about it to you, yet. It takes time. All you need is a great heart and openness; to be open to anything that can happen. Be like Christ to others.
One thing that makes this harder is that we too have our own problems. We too experience being alone and feeling unloved. We too have our own weaknesses. But that's the thing that makes things more exciting. How willing are we to go out of our own way despite the burdens we are also carrying.
Because the world is poor and starving...go with Bread.
Some things to reflect on:
1) How will I be like Christ to others amidst the many problems I also have?
2) What should I do to overcome my own problems to help others?
3) How willing am I to be like Christ?
That's all for now, I'll be doing part II soon. For the meantime, let's all contemplate on those as we go on with our Holy Week. I'll keep you, dear reader, on my prayers. Just place a comment on the chatterbox. Till then, good bye.
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