5 Loaves and 2 Fish: The Art Of Kindness
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Kindness is contagious. Kindness is miraculous. Kindness is magical. Kindness is chaos.
Kindness can be described in many ways. And there are many stories that teach lessons of random acts of kindness. My favourite to date is the story of the 5 loaves and the 2 fishes.
The story is well known throughout the world and is predominantly taught within the Christian religion. It is described as one of the miracles performed by Jesus Christ.
You may have read this story from the bible or may have heard it from someone. It is described and presented as a miracle. You know, synonymous with the abracadabra magician type of scenario, where 5 fish and 2 loaves were enough to feed 5000 men, not including women and children.
I grew up reading the stories about Jesus’ miracles. This one in particular left an indelible mark on me. You see, it wasn't the fact that so little was able to feed and satisfy so many, with leftovers. It was the random act of kindness, shown by a little boy who overheard that there were many people to feed, with no preparations to feed them. As they all just showed up to the scene from near and far, to see the Messiah.
What was it inside that little boy that made him want to help? Did Jesus, know that he would be there, ready and willing to share his little provisions with those who came unprepared?
That is the part of the story that was etched in my spirit as a child. That is the part of the story that resides with me. And if you ask me, I would say that the real miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes, was the random act of kindness of that little boy, that spread through the mountainside like wildfire. Warming the hearts of those who had also enough to spear. A phenomenon that to me, is an instantaneous example of the butterfly effect.
This means I didn't believe that Jesus held the 5 loaves and 2 fishes up to the sky, causing them to multiply and produce 5000+ loaves and fishes. I mean Jesus is Almighty, and I am sure he could do that if he wanted to. But I, am also sure, that he would rather teach us to be kind, rather than another way to be lazy, unprepared and glutinous. That's rather useless and ungodly.
