Touch it, Taste it, Feel it

Tourists.  What image comes to mind when I say that word?  Oh, yes.  We do have our stereotypes:  crowds of casually-dressed, portly people in loud plaid with multiple cameras or disposable ones, snapping photographs of everything in sight and looking for the nearest McDonalds in faraway exotic places.    I had the privilege of returning to Thailand two summers ago and spending eight weeks with my parents, Richard and Evelyn Bryant, who have served as missionaries for the Presbyterian church in Thailand since 1951.  And, that summer, I saw lots of tourists.

What is it that draws the crowds of tourists to Thailand?    Is it the stunning beauty of her Buddhist temples that glitter in the tropical sunlight from thousands of pieces of colored cut glass set in traditional mosaic designs?  Is it her beautiful beaches with powdery white sand and turquoise seas, teaming with coral reefs and colorful tropical fish?  Or is it the mystery of her past and such stories of “Anna and the King of Siam” or the one… quite true, by the way… of the trained war elephants given to Abraham Lincoln by a Thai monarch to fight the Civil War?  Why do thousands of people leave their homes and travel to Thailand each year?  What is the magic that pulls them there?    What do they seek… and do they find it? 

I was more aware of the tourists on this visit to Thailand than I ever remember being on other visits.  Perhaps, it was because there are more of them than ever before.  Certain popular locations, like Phuket Island, which was so devastated by the Tsunami last year, seemed to have more Caucasians than Thai.    Or perhaps I noticed the tourists, because Thailand has made some significant changes to accommodate them… which is something I do not remember from earlier visits.  For example, air pollution in Bangkok has been reduced significantly.  A new elevated, electric Skytrain whisks passengers over the worst traffic spots in the city.  Government-operated tourist offices are on every other street corner.  Bottled water is sold everywhere.  City workers keep the streets clean of debris.  The ability of the average Thai citizen to speak English has improved dramatically in the past two decades.    And, oh, yes… the Golden Arches have arrived in Thailand.  You can now order a Big Mac in all of the major tourist locations… along with Kentucky Fried Chicken… Haagen Das ice cream… and Starbucks Coffee. Welcome home! 

But, I think that the primary reason that I was more aware of tourists on my last trip was because a friend of mine traveled to Thailand for the first time and I served as his tour guide in all of the places we visited.  I became much more aware of the uniqueness of Thai culture as I answered his questions.  I saw all the familiar sights through new eyes and heard all the familiar sounds with new ears.  I struggled to explain the differences… to transmit a feel for the history and culture… and to listen patiently to new interpretations of old Thai customs… filtered through his experience.  And, through it all, I adapted and corrected my comments to meet his learning needs… sometimes liberally stealing lines I overheard from other tour guides working with tour groups closeby. 

Through it all, the question uppermost in my mind was:  “How do I show a total novice the magic of what I know about Thailand?”    After several days, the answer came to me.  Let him touch it.  Let him taste it.  Let him feel it.    Reveal the reality… share the story… and, in time, he’ll come to know it… partly through his own experience of it… partly through the stories that he hears… and partly through some mysterious process where touch … and taste… and smell… and hearing… and sight come together to make magic. 

At first, admittedly, it was overwhelming for him!  There was too much to absorb… too much that was strange.  But, over the six weeks that he explored the country with me, he came to see a pattern… a pattern of significance… in people… in places… in food… and in all the things he saw and experienced for himself.  When he left to return home at the end of July, somehow the country and its people had wiggled into a tiny corner of his heart to stay.  I didn’t make that magic happen.  Thailand did. 

What drew the crowds of people to Jesus?    They were always with him… surrounding him.  Why did thousands of people leave their homes and travel to see him?    What was the magic that pulled them?    What did they seek…and did they find it?    You who have grown up in the church, you’ve heard this story… the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000… many, many times.  Did you ever ask yourself why they came?    And why did they travel so far unprepared? 

You know, I’m not a professional tour guide.  When my friend and I first began our forays to Thai tourist sites, I didn’t bring along a bottle of water… an umbrella… some aspirin… mosquito repellant… some candies or snacks… Wet Wipes… or anything else.  We were kind of like the crowds that came to see Jesus in Galilee… totally unprepared for the trip, but wanting to experience the magic. 

What magic did they long to experience?    Was it the fact that he healed the sick?  Was it that he was a powerful, charismatic preacher?  Was it that he accepted them, regardless of their wealth… or power… or status… or the lack of all of all those things?    What was it? 

Some of you know what it is.    Some of you come to church on Sunday because you have had a personal encounter with God.    You come here because the magic has touched you and you have never forgotten the feeling…the incredible joy… the thirst-quenching peace… the awesome wonder.    Some of you walk close to God every day.  That magic fills your senses… and you want to stay tied to it.    Others of you might have caught a glimpse of that magic at an earlier time in your life and, somehow, it has slipped away and you long to recapture it.    Some of you have seen it… or felt it… or touched it… in someone else and you have this hunger to see it… to feel it… to touch it yourself.    And then some of you are here simply because someone important in your life is here… and out of a sense of duty to them… or curiosity for yourself…you come. 

It was no different that day in Galilee.    Some people came because they felt the magic and the mystery of God’s presence and they could not bear to be far from it.    Some came because they had felt something before and wanted to feel it again.    Some came because they were curious about this person that so many others were talking about.    And some came out of duty… or loyalty to family or friends who were there.   Most came very unprepared to be away from home for so long… but, once there, they did not want to leave. 

And, as evening approached, the disciples told Jesus to send the crowds away.    Let me read those verses again:  “When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late.  Send the crowds away… in the Greek, it is a command.  Send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”   Jesus replied, “They need not to go away.  You give them something to eat.” 

“You…feed them.”  It wasn’t a question.  It wasn’t a suggestion.  It was a command:  “You…feed them.”    Jesus knew the situation.  He knew that the disciples did not have the resources to feed five thousand (5,000) people.  Why did he give this command to them?  He knew they couldn’t do it…  or could they?    Was he telling them to pass bread and fish to everyone… or was he trying to show his disciples that their responsibility was to minister to all of the needs of the people… not just to their physical needs… but to their spiritual needs as well?    He knew that these people had a hunger that went far beyond their empty stomachs.  He knew that they wanted more… more than just some bread and dried fish.     “You…feed them.”    You who know me… you who have already experienced the magic… you who have touched… and tasted… and felt the presence of God.    You…feed them… help them.  Help them to touch… to taste… to feel… to know what you know.    You…feed them.” 

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.”    The disciples gave them to the crowds.    The disciples walked among the thousands of tired… hungry… thirsty… dusty people… bringing bread and fish and so much more.    As they walked among the people, they must have heard the people’s conversations about Jesus.  Did they stop to share their own stories to the ones the people were telling?    They must have heard the people’s questions about Jesus.  Did they stop to explain… to share the good news?    They must have heard the doubts that some people voiced.  Did they stop to share the doubts that they once had… and the reasons why they no longer had doubts? 

“And you…ministering in my name…you feed them.”  Feed them the bread for their bodies and the food for their souls.  Feed them the bread of life and they will never be hungry again.  “You…feed them.”  Let them touch… let them taste… let them feel.  Let them experience what you have already experienced.  You…be their tour guide.  Show them the love… care… concern… compassion of Christ.  Let the see the reality of Christ in you.  Let them hear the story of God’s love.  “You…feed them.” 

  “They all ate and were filled.”  “They all ate and were satisfied.”  Their needs were met.  “And they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.”  Twelve baskets full left over!  Twelve baskets full… enough to feed many more hungry people.  The abundance was given by God, but please note that the work was done by the disciples.  Jesus commanded.  The disciples obeyed.  And God gave in abundance. 

            Did Jesus give an impossible order to the disciples on the hillside that evening?   No.    Neither does he give an impossible order to us today.  Earlier I said that some of you were here today because you know the magic.  You have experienced the presence of the Divine.  You have touched… and tasted… and felt the presence of God in your own life.  “You…feed them.”  It’s not an impossible assignment.  Be their tour guide.  Let them touch… and taste… and feel what you have touched… and tasted… and felt.  Reveal the reality… share the story.  Let them see God in you and, in time, they will come to know what you already know.  They will feel the magic, too.

There are hungry people in this world… many of them right here in this room… hungry for a word of hope… hungry for a loving touch… hungry for a tiny slice of magic.   I know.  I sat in one of these pews out of duty or loyalty for forty (40) years before I was able to touch… and taste… and feel that magic.    These people… these hungry people… they want what you have.  They want to know what you know.  They want to feel the magic that you feel.  “You…feed them.”    And, for those of you who still have not experienced the real presence of God in your life, my advice to you is: be a tourist.    Wander around God’s kingdom in this world and touch it… taste it… feel it.  See the reality… hear the story… and, in time… in God’s time… you will come to know what they know.  “This is my body, broken… for you.”  “This is my blood, shed…for you.”  Touch it… taste it… feel it.  Amen.

Matthew 14:13-21; Romans 10:5-15