1 box of jumbo chalk. 4 bottles of bubbles. 4 jump ropes. 46 happy kids.

Sounds like loaves and fishes to me.

Living in community offers many opportunities to practice sharing. I was moved by a beautiful example of this truth while spending time with the children of Los Arcos last Wednesday.

When one of the toddlers started crying about wanting bubbles, I explained that there weren’t enough for everyone but we could go together to ask someone to share. When we approached another little girl, she was hesitant to give up her bubbles.

Fortunately for me, a much more capable pair of 5 or 6 year olds stepped in to teach the lesson. I stepped back as they chattered away in Swahili, gently encouraging their younger playmate to share. A minute later, the bubble-carrier happily held out the bubbles to her friend. What happened next made me tear up. In a tight-knit circle, the five of us passed the bubbles around one-by-one, blowing them into each other’s face and laughing hysterically.

I imagine that when Jesus passed out the loaves and fishes to the 5,000 there were many moments like this. Jesus could have simply caused bread and fish to appear in the hands of each person there. Instead, “he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” Matthew 14:19b. Jesus invited his disciples to participate in an act of sharing.

I’m grateful that he invites us to do the same. It makes for some pretty precious and hilarious moments.