My sister in Christ Paula Greene got me thinking about this Gospel passage in a whole new way. In fact in a sort of, well why didn't I think of that, kind of way. Paula proclaims this passage is about Soul Food. Now looking at my very white self with my German surname one would accurately guess that I was not reared on soul food. But one night, one great night I was a pilgrim into the world of soul food and fed like a welcomed guest.

I used to take the magazine Vegetarian Times and in one issue I read a feature article about arestaurant in Atlanta called the Soul Vegetarian. The article gave the restaurant high marks anddescribed dishes that made my mouth long for the flavors that seemed to leap from the page.This was during years when my mom and I owned a business that required us to travel to Atlanta twicea year. Most nights the Gift Mart where we went to buy for the store closed at 6 so we enjoyed going todinner at different restaurants. So after reading about the Soul Vegetarian, when the next Gift Martrolled around, I was ready. My mom, always up for an adventure, agreed to go in search of therestaurant. We took the Marta out away from the city and when we got off at the proper station mymom and I looked around at a very desolate area and began to wonder. Every store was closed; theoverall feeling was gray. What were we doing here? Which direction were we to head? And thoughthe restaurant had assured me when I had called earlier that they were open we began to feel out ofplace. We were looking and searching for the right landmarks and everything around us was closed.And then we came upon a colorful canopy that broke up the gray facades, and we opened the door totremendous aromas.

As we entered into the small but festive place it was as if we had entered into a neighborhoodgathering. When the server came to our table she said, "Ah, you must be the ones who called.Welcome." The evening was passed listening to conversations go between tables; conversations thatenveloped us in a feeling of warmth and connection and familiarity. The food was like eating all thecomfort of home wrapped in seasonings that were at once familiar yet distinct.

As mom and I made our way back into the city, we understood "soul food" in a whole new way. A mealthat feeds the soul. This, Paula Greene says, is what Christ was about when he fed the people.And Christ went into a desert place and the people followed him. Christ went into desert places for onereason and that was to be in the presence of God. As some might say, he went into the desert to heara word. When he was drained, tapped, at the end of his resources, Christ withdrew into the desert tobe fed, filled, renewed, and directed by God. But on this day Christ was not alone in his need to be fed.And knowing their hunger, when the people arrived, Christ looked on them with compassion and hebegan to fill them with the Good News. He began to teach them, to talk with them, to heal them. Sowhen the disciples came and said the people needed to be sent away to find food, Christ said, "No.This is my dinner party and my guests will be fed." The menu? Why Soul Food of course! You see thepoint could not have been to feed their bodies alone because the people were all capable of doing this.Christ needed to serve their food in such a way that their bodies and souls were fed. Notice thoughhow the disciples were the sous Chefs for this meal. Christ looked at them and said, "Have confidence.You feed the people." And then he showed them how. Christ taught the disciples to take whateveringredients were at hand and serve up some soul food.

This idea of soul food is exactly my understanding of the Lord's Prayer. "Give us this day our dailybread." This is our prayer that we be fed. There are times in life when that may mean physically fed,but I don't believe God ever feeds our bodies alone. God is in the business of feeding our souls. Thisis why when the food offering is brought up every month I pray over the food that those receiving thisfood know themselves to be loved and never alone and may they be nourished in the love of God.Because God specializes in soul food, we gather for communion, not to be fed a meal, but to be fedwith the grace of God. And we are reminded in the Eucharistic prayer that this is not simply for ourindividual benefit but for the benefit of all. Standing there on the hillside Christ fed everyone and that iswhat happens at the Eucharist. The call is to come and be fed, and, to quote Eucharistic Prayer C thecall is to, "Let the grace of the Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we mayworthily serve the world in his name." Just like the disciples, when we participate in Communion we aremade sous chefs.

Christ will look to us when someone is hungry to feed them a good heaping serving of soul foodregardless of what ingredients are on hand. To spell that out a bit, I am saying that you may not thinkyou can proclaim your faith in an articulate manner, but when someone comes to you in crisis, you AREthe one to feed his or her soul. When people are alone feed them with kindness; when people arescared feed them with hope; when people are angry feed them peace; and no matter how empty yourspiritual pantry, you can always feed another person with your presence.Think of what you have been fed with, what soul food has been placed in your hand at that altar rail?That is what you are called to feed the world with.

Thinking back on the night in the restaurant, I don't remember what I ate - well, okay I remember themost amazing corn bread I have ever tasted - but really what I remember is the feeling of gatheredcommunity. And I remember the odd sensation of being completely out of place and completelywelcome. That's our job as sous chefs. To feed people like that; to feed their souls as ours have beenfed.

Thanks be to God!