I recall a story in my childhood. It’s
about the lonely God whose love and friendship was unrequited. The story goes something like this:
Upon a mountain top there lived a kind and
gentle God. He was lonely because people
down the village did not mind him. They were all too busy and preoccupied with their
books, their many games, and endless meetings.
Day by day the lonely God looked down upon
the villagers wanting very much to be their friend. He thought one day, “I must
let them know I care.” So each day, he sent a messenger to the village, a pack
upon his back, and in the pack are special gifts for every people in the
village.
Each day the people ran with open arms to
gather the gifts. But soon they grew quite used to being gifted. Some began to
grab gifts from the pack, and some even took more than they were meant to
have. Later, people grabbed their gifts
and started comparing with one another and complained: “Why is his gift better
than mine?!” “This is unfair!” They quarreled over the gifts and, at last, no
one remembered from where the gifts had come.
Far up on his mountain top sat God. Day
after lonely day he waited for a friendly word, a sign of thanks, a gesture of
acknowledgment that he is remembered. But nothing came. The people waited and quarreled over the
gifts but not a single villager ever remembered the God who cared and loved
them.
Such is the parable of the lonely God. In my childhood, with misty eyes I listened to
the story wanting so much to go up to the mountain top and give him a hug.
Many times we receive the gift but lose
sight of the Giver. This is sad and tragic. God is a God of relationship. He
offers his friendship to us. All He desires is for us to experience his great
love in that loving relationship with him. But all too often we get attached to the created
things and love these blessings instead of the Creator who offers his love.
Already in the Old Testament, God is revealed
as the God of the covenant: “I am your God and you will be my people.” He is a
God whose primary concern is to forge a loving relationship with his people. In
the New Testament, Jesus manifests the ultimate love of God for his people. He
affirms the covenant in an absolute way: “This is my body… This is my blood… the
cup of the new and everlasting covenant… Take this… When you do this, remember
me.” In Jesus, God gives himself. Not
just any other gifts.
Today’s gospel (Jn 6: 1-15) depicts Jesus
being followed by a vast crowd because of his power to do miracles. In this
gospel episode, Jesus multiplies the five loaves of bread and two fish in order
to feed five thousand people. But right after the apostles collected the left
over, Jesus withdraws to the mountain alone because the crowd are coming to him
to carry him off and make him their king (vv.13-15).
Why does Jesus withdraw? Because the people
are after the gifts and not the Giver. They are after the benefits of the
miracle and not the God who loves them. Or at most, they want the god of their
expectations—the god who will provide for their needs according to their own
terms. The god they can manipulate to their advantage.
To hold the people spellbound and astounded
by some magical display of power is not the reason why Jesus has performed
miracles. His miracles are meant to reveal the love of God—the God who cares…
the God who longs to be loved in return.
Now that people seek the benefits of the
miracles oblivious of the great love of God for them, Jesus withdraws to the
mountain alone. Maybe, shaking his head and feeling lonely.
How often do we also fall into the same
trap of wanting the gift and not the giver… of worshiping the god of our
expectations and not the God of love himself!
How often we tend to experience a sudden
surge of faith in the face of miracles but fail to notice the constant love of God
in ordinary events of life!
How much of our prayers is the sort that
twists God’s arm for things we need? How less and less do we spend time praying
just to be in the loving presence of God? No words… no things to ask… no agenda
to advocate… just to “be…” relishing God’s love and responding to it in our
hearts.
Next time we pray, let us see to it that we
express our love to God. Or maybe, in a contemplative mood, imagine giving God
a hug.
