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12/06/2003 Entry: "A disciple's conversation"

I wrote this post imagining a disciple looking out on a tired and hungry crowd. This is what comes next. It's a conversation, but you'll have to fill in the other half with your own imagination.

"What's that you say, Lord? 'How shall we feed them?' If you don't mind me saying, it's a daft question. We're miles from the shops, they're shut by now anyway and even if they were open it would take months to raise all the money we'd need. Don't even think of mentioning it to Judas. He'll only start banging on about 'the need for proper financial management' and 'the prudent use of scarce resources'.You know what he's like when he gets going. He'll be unbearable if you even mention that you were so much as considering the merest possibility of even thinking about feeding them. And I'm sure he's got your best interests at heart.

"Say that again?! You can't be serious! You do want us to feed them! Honestly, Jesus, I'd follow you anywhere, but I do sometimes wonder if you're quite in control. It has been hot today -- are you sure you haven't caught a touch of the sun? I've asked around, but all I could scrounge was these bread rolls and a rather nice looking bit of fish.

"No, I'm sure the kid didn't mind. i told him you needed it and said 'Great will be your reward in the kingdom of heaven.' That's one of your lines, isn't it? Anyhow, it'll do the 2 of us nicely but I think Jim, John and the rest will have to fend for themselves. After all, there's no point in all of us going hungry.

"Pardon? 'Remember the weeding'? Now you've lost me. I've never been a gardener. You know she takes care of all of that and I don't see... Oh! Not 'the weeding'! The wedding! Ah yes, well... To be honest it's a bit of a blur. I remember how surprised we were that you could dance so well. I remember your mum whispering that the wine had all gone. And I'll never forget the look on that steward's face when you told him to try the water jars. The party went really well after that! But this is different, surely? The jars were there. Here we've only got this bread and fish. Why don't we talk about it again when we've had our snap*?

"OK, OK. You win. I don't see what good it will do, but if you want to waste a perfectly good supper on a gesture, don't let me stop you. You're the one who doesn't like sailing on an empty stomach.

"What' s that? We'll keep the leftovers for a midnight snack?

"Whatever you say, Jesus."

----*Snap: Where I come from, "snap" is the packed meal of a workman