Long ago, on a hillside in Galilee, thousands gathered to hear Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God. As the day drew on and the crowd was hungry, Jesus looked on the multitude with compassion and instructed his disciples, "You give them something to eat."

They responded, "Lord, there are just too many…"

Today, the risen Christ looks upon a world that has the capacity to feed every person, and yet 840 million are malnourished, 153 million of those are children under the age of 5, and he says to us, "You give them something to eat."

We respond, "Lord, there are just too many…"

Today, the risen Christ looks upon a world where every day 5,000 children in developing countries die because the water they drink is unclean, and Jesus says to us, "You give them something safe to drink."

We respond, "Lord, there are just too many…"

Today, the Risen Christ looks upon a world where every 30 seconds a child living in poverty dies from malaria, a disease which is virtually nonexistent in wealthier countries because it is so easily treatable and preventable, and Jesus says to us, "Why haven’t you done something about this?"

We respond, "Lord, there are just too many…"

Then the Risen Christ says to us, "On the hill by the Sea of Galilee, it only took a child, who in faith was able to offer up the little he had: four barley loaves and two small fish. While others were fixated on the size of the problem, this child was happy to do something, to be part of the possibilities."

We respond, "Holy One, forgive us for letting the size of these problems immobilize us. Forgive us that in our frustration that we can’t save all, we miss the opportunities to save some, or even one."

This day, O God, we focus on malaria, and we resolve to make a difference:

Even if it’s only one meal we skip, even if it’s only one net we send,

Then let it be one child, one family that might escape this deadly disease.

And let it remind us in all things what miracles can happen when we make ourselves available to do what Christ would do; that the world might be transformed. AMEN.