Hunger and thirst

John 6 : 24 - 35

...he who comes to me....shall not hunger

Being human we hunger for many things - actually a 'normal' condition of being a human creature. Some of these things are important to life - like basic needs for food and shelter. But a large part of the world is now 'filled' in this sense. And yet we still 'hunger' - after many things. The consumerist culture speaks of this hunger for more; creating more goods so that people can desire more. Multiply that by the number of consumer products and you run into large, large numbers of people caught on this treadmill.

I am beginning to realize that deep inside every human person is a very deep need for 'identity'. Sometimes we receive one in a healthy way from our family of origin - and sometimes we don't and so the search continues when we leave home. In this search - we become aware of many 'needs' that were unmet before. Yet our awareness is usually fairly superficial - we are aware we need - this or that product, or person, or job - something to fill the vacuum inside. Even when we become Christians - that deep place may not be ready to receive all that God wants to pour in - and we remain hungry and thirsty people. This is fine, as long as we understand our condition and regularly turn to the 'bread of life', asking to be filled. At the same time, we trust Him enough to let go of other things, or hold them loosely, never to be 'possessed' by them.

I am learning this lesson over and over again. I am growing aware that even 'religious activity' can become a crutch and never fill the real hunger inside - and it can even become an 'idol'. Only Jesus can fill the hunger and quench the thirst. It is a lifelong process of cooperating with him- of 'coming to him' and of learning to let go those things that are but gifts- the means he uses to draw us to himself.