Every week, if not every day, it just seems like there’s more. More hurt and brokenness, more anger and hate, more violence and confusion, more hunger, more poverty, more homelessness, more sickness, more grief. There’s more love and grace, compassion and understanding, too, I’m sure, but the voices - and actions - of the former seem to drown out the latter.
I can’t imagine there’s ever been a time like this before now.
There has, of course. Not exactly the same, things change and every moment is unique, but similar enough, especially in the sense of being so overwhelming. What can we do? We don’t seem to be enough. If only we had more … something.
How about faith?
I think there’s a moment in the Gospel of Luke when the disciples find themselves feeling overwhelmed. I think they see the world around them, feeling much like we might now, they hear all that Jesus is asking of them and they feel like they’re just not enough. They feel they need something more and they say to Jesus “give us more faith!”
I’m interpreting, of course, but, for me, it sure feels like they’re desperate for help. They don’t feel they can handle everything, certainly not like Jesus does, and they want him to somehow make them stronger, to make them be more like Jesus. Maybe they thought he could just touch them or breathe on them and somehow they’d be “more.” After all, they didn’t want to fail him.
Again, I’m interpreting, but I imagine Jesus just shaking his head.
Let’s be clear: it’s never about meeting expectations with Jesus. Jesus isn’t about expectations or passing a test or meeting a set achievement standard or being perfect (especially being perfect). Jesus is about how we live and how we love, with sincerity, truth and wholeness. Just as we are.
That’s important to remember because Jesus’ response to the their request for more faith is to say you don’t need more. All that you need is already within you. It’s not about quantifying your faith. There is no more or less. It’s about how much you use it.
He tells them that even faith the size of a small seed - like a mustard seed, Jesus’ favourite tiny image - is enough to do amazing things. How that seed grows is in how often you put it to use, living out the love, compassion and kindness that is our true nature. Finding that in ourselves, sharing it, finding it in others, this is faith in action. That’s how it grows, not in quantity, but deeper, more fit, healthy and capable. And more whole.
He also tells them that it doesn’t need to be grand or heroic. It’s not about heavy lifting, it’s about the ordinary, everyday things that serve others as well as ourselves. Small acts of kindness and caring, moments of love and engagement, reaching out to others, these are what we build our life around. Faith, like life, is lived.
You are enough.
