This is not
the age of information.
This is not
the age of information.
Forget the news,
and the radio,
and the blurred screen.
This is the time
of loaves
and fishes.
People are hungry
and one good word is bread
for a thousand.
— David Whyte
from The House of Belonging
©1996 Many Rivers Press
I first heard this poem read out loud at Kimberly and Mary Lou Schneider’s Poetry as A Spiritual Practice retreat. I think that part of my soul that hungered began to stir. You know, like tuning forks — the way they begin to vibrate at the same frequency even across a room. With my eyes closed and actually hearing those words spoken out loud, I began to understand that we all hunger for something, even in this age of everything-you-could-possibly-want-on-Amazon!
And, that it’s okay to name my hunger, to need…
sweetness
and comfort
and security
— the flavors of a childhood memory;
the taste and texture of the fresh juicy mango that waits for me on a plate after my afternoon siesta.
What do you hunger for?
Today, I give you permission to taste it and feel it… and want it. And if you need someone to hold it for you, write it to me at (help)@hopefulworld.org and I can add it to the plate.
Just like loaves and fishes… when our words come together, we feed thousands.