[Jesus] told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” – John 6:12 (NRSV)

Often what I have to offer feels like a collection of scraps: a sermon half-drafted on my laptop, laundry stalled mid-fold on the couch, phone calls interrupted by someone calling “Mama!” As a disabled pastor and parent of young toddlers, my capacity shifts from day to day, and life arrives in fragments no planner can hold together.

All the while, suffering and injustice abound. I want to be part of God’s work in this moment, to lead protests, participate in direct action, and show up in bold ways for our neighbors. Yet many days the reality of what I manage is a bit smaller: a call to my representatives between diaper changes, a quiet prayer whispered in a waiting room, a kind word to a friend. Not nothing—but not the fullness I long for.

Which is why I keep circling back to this little line at the end of the feeding miracle. After the multitude is fed, Jesus doesn’t move on with fanfare. Instead, he turns to his disciples and says, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”

What an unmiraculous instruction for a miracle story! If you can multiply bread out of thin air, why bother with crumbs? But the twelve baskets of leftovers, one for each disciple, are essential to the work of the Spirit in this moment. In God’s economy, the fragments matter. The pieces we think are too small, too broken, too late are gathered with tenderness and intention, held as part of the whole story God is telling.

The miracle isn’t only that thousands were fed. The miracle is that nothing was wasted. Not one crust or crumb.

If that is true of bread, it is true of us.

Prayer
Gathering God, gather up the leftovers of this day. Let nothing be wasted, nothing be lost. Bless these small fragments and make them bread for your beloved world. Amen.

About the Author
Hannah Burge Sachs is the Minister of Faith Formation at Rock Spring UCC in Arlington, Virginia.