I have a tattoo on my chest. It is a drawing of a fourth-century mosaic floor from a church in Tabgha, Israel commemorating the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. To me, it is a reminder about the significance of those miracle stories. To me, it doesn’t matter so much whether the food was miraculously multiplied or if the people were moved to share their food (by God, Jesus, and/or the Spirit) when they saw one person sharing their food. Either interpretation is meaningful and reflects God’s mighty power and love.
My tattoo reminds me the story means even more. Because the image is on my body, I remember Jesus’ use of bread as an image. Jesus’ body was broken for many, but is never used up. Even after everyone shares eucharistically in Jesus, there will still be more Jesus left over. As I share in Jesus’ body and enter into the divine relationship, I, too, share myself with others. I give a part of me to every person I meet. When that person is no longer in my life, a part of me is lost. The longer I know someone, the more of me they might get. If I ever marry, then I will still have enough leftover to give all of me to that person and continue to give in more relationships, and this whole time still be all God’s. No matter how much I give away, God provides more. And, I hope, as people look at me and how I give of myself, they will be prompted to do likewise, becoming the body and blood of Jesus, multiplying themselves in order to bless others.
No comments:
Post a Comment