There is a video game and pinball arcade in Bay Shore Mall called Sparky Fox Arcade. It’s been there about a year I think. It was opened by a young man in memory of his late partner, who wanted to open an arcade like that.

I’ve been there a few times.

One day I went in while Mary was at the DMV. I had a few quarters – enough to play two of the pinball machines. When I got to the second machine, I only had enough for one game.

Those of you who have played pinball know there’s a match feature where, at the end of the game, if the last to digits of your score match the two digit match number, you win a free game. They always end in zero, so it’s a one-in-ten chance.

Between three matches and one other free game, I played five games while only paying for one.

It was like a miracle.

Let’s go to God in prayer.
God of wisdom, may the words that I speak, and the ways they are received by each of our hearts and minds, help us to continue to grow into the people, and the church, that you have dreamed us to be.
Amen.

Can the Earth produce enough for everyone to eat?
According to the United Nations,

Enough food is produced today to feed everyone on the planet, but hunger is on the rise in some parts of the world, and some 821 million people are considered to be “chronically undernourished”
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/10/1048452

Do we have enough fresh water to drink?
According to UNICEF:

Four billion people — almost two thirds of the world’s population — experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.
Over two billion people live in countries where water supply is inadequate.
Half of the world’s population could be living in areas facing water scarcity by as early as 2025.
Some 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.
By 2040, roughly 1 in 4 children worldwide will be living in areas of extremely high water stress.
https://www.unicef.org/wash/water-scarcity

Of particular concern here in California, do we have enough housing?
According to United Way:

Sixteen million homes currently sit vacant across the U.S. Despite how many homes are in the US, over 580,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness. There are currently 28 vacant homes for every one person experiencing homelessness in the U.S.
https://unitedwaynca.org/blog/vacant-homes-vs-homelessness-by-city/

It seems like there is enough to go around, although fresh water seems to be the resource that’s most scarce. So why are so many people struggling?

When we are little, we are usually that that sharing is important. One reason is it’s hard to manage a daycare or classroom when one or a few children are hoarding resources.

Who can draw and color if Grizelda is keeping all the crayons for herself?

At lunchtime, what if Eglon has grabbed all the sandwiches for himself?

Instead, if all of the children share, there is usually enough for everyone, even if they have to take turns with crayons or toys.

But somehow, as we get older, may of us seem to want to gather resources for ourselves.

For some it’s a sense of scarcity. People who have lived through the depression, for example, sometimes want to keep a stock of resources to guard against such a time of want in the future.

For some it’s a means of being respected and admired for what they have accomplished. Status symbols like a private jet or newest smartphone can impress others.

For some it’s a sense of power. The more resources – especially money, but also property in the form of land, building, and companies – one has, the more likely they are to have their vision realized, whether it is a backyard retreat or a nationwide ideology.

So we tend to move away from sharing with others and keeping for ourselves.

On the one hand, it makes sense to provide for ourselves and our families: we ought not take our kids and live in our cars if we don’t have to.

But at some point we have to realize that the reason that some people don’t have enough is because others are unwilling to share some of what they have.

Our readings today are from the Hebrew scriptures and from the New Testament. They both speak of starting with what doesn’t seem like enough to feed all of the people there, but all are fed and there is food left over.

Some people read these stories and see a miracle performed by the prophet and by Jesus.

Some people read these stories and see a miracle of sharing by people who trusted there was enough.

My challenge to us this week is to cultivate a spirit of abundance: that there is more than enough.

If we can’t get to feeling there is a abundant amount of resources, perhaps we can get to adequacy: the feeling that there is enough.

If we can get to that point, we can release the feelings of scarcity that lead us to fear there will not be enough, and to hoard resources for ourselves.

May we trust there is enough.

Amen.