As we read, reflect and seek ways to live God’s word this week we are challenged to invite those who thirst to Come! To come freely and without price to the well spring of life. This invitation that we hear from Isaiah to come and drink, as well as the invitation of Christ to give them some food yourselves. People are thirsty and hungry and we have a fundamental call to do something about it.
If we simply look at our streets or turn on our television we see the thirsty and the hungry. Through social media the cries of the marginalized and those on the peripheries is loud and clear. From the most basic human needs to the complexities of a society and a world that thirsts and hungers for justice, meaning and belonging.
To listen to the prophet Isaiah 55th chapter we hear a people who have become overwhelmed and beaten down by oppression and subjugation as the return to their land at the end of another period of captivity and bondage. Moving from bondage to freedom we have a powerful word of freedom and power. Come!
“all you who are thirsty,* come to the water! You who have no money, come, buy grain and eat; Come, buy grain without money, wine and milk without cost!” 
This is our message to our nation and to our world. That those who have been excluded, are invited to Come! Those who have been on the margins of society and on the peripheries are invited, Come and eat without out cost. The invitation demonstrates God’s great value for all those who find themselves devastated, fed up, sick and tired, and simply wore out by injustice, inequality. The time has come where we must seek to lead and guide people into fullness and redemption that can only come from the loving God who created us for abundance and blessing.
The tragic and brutal death of Jesus’ cousin John caused him to draw away, to go to a deserted place to be alone for awhile. This is often the response that we all experience, when tragedy comes our way we seek solace and need to be alone. But even in the midst of Jesus’ own sorrow, He sees a hungry crowd seeking healing and wholeness. To often we want to send people away, we want to turn our back to those on the peripheries as they are left to fend for themselves.
When the disciples of Jesus suggest that those who are hungry and seeking healing should be sent away, Jesus says: “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” This is the command of Jesus, that we must do our part and be a part of the solution. Welcome, feed and do our part to better the lives of those suffering.
We’ve must be a part of the solution. We are Stronger Together. We are calling the community to stand with our youth, with those on the margins through our “Not My Son” program. We are saying Yes to our Youth, that their lives do Matter. We Say to our Youth, Come! You who are Hungry for belonging Come!, You who have not place to go Come!. You who want a safe place to play, Come!, You who have no food, Come! Without Price, without cost, just Come!
In the midst of this pandemic we’ve been doing our best to be a part of the solution. We’ve been wearing masks, we are checking temperatures, we are washing hands. I felt called to do more. I want to be a part of the cure, part of the end of this pandemic, a part of creating the new normal. So I decided, be a part of the cure and enter the vaccine trials. Stand for those who are suffering, seeking healing for those who are sick, encourage those who are afraid and step up. Let those lives that were lost not be in vain.
We are stronger together both in facing injustice and ending prejudice, to seeking a cure for this pandemic, together when we all get involved and do our part to help the world can be a better place. How do we Stand? FAST together!
Rev.Stephan Brown, SVD