In Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus feeds 5,000 from five fish and two loaves. After the miracle occurs, his followers probably plot the logistics of serving. When the meal is over, they may have given each other the Biblical equivalent of a high five--no food riots and everyone could take to heart Jesus' precious words. Stretching things a bit, we might say this is an early example of "keeping" statistics.
In 2010, the Dorothy Day Center provided emergency assistance for 7,268 adults and 3,991 children. When we look at year-end numbers, we feel the same way the disciples might have--satisfaction and the hope that a temporary relief of physical suffering might allow people time and resources to escape from poverty and for a spiritual life to grow. However, in numbers, something is gained, but something is also lost. An old saying goes, "Statistics are faces with their tears wiped away."
Dorothy Day herself described this conundrum best. "This last year, at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality, we gave out, roughly speaking and underestimating at that, 460,000 meals. This is what the world sees and if we wished to impress the world, we would multiply this by eighteen years and the figure would be truly impressive. But suppose a mother should say, 'I've put one thousand and ninety-five meals on the table this year. I've washed fifty thousand plates. It is easy to see how foolish it is to look at things in this light. I am sure God is not counting the meals. He is looking at Tony Aratari, Joe Monroe, Ray Taylor, turning off their alarm clocks at five every morning to go downstairs to start the coffee, cut the bread."
Jesus took care of multitudes, but He seems most concerned with the number one--each one of us--the lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son (Luke, Chapter 15). And even though he said, "the poor will always be among you," (Mark 14:7), He did not intend for us to give up in despair. Dorothy Day also said, "Yes, the Lord said the poor will always be with us, but we are not content that there be so many of them. The class structure is our making and by our consent, not God's and we must do what we can to change it."
To help with this ministry, visit the Dorothy Day Center's website, http://www.thedorothydaycenter.com/ and click on the link Volunteer Opportunities for 2011.
In 2010, the Dorothy Day Center provided emergency assistance for 7,268 adults and 3,991 children. When we look at year-end numbers, we feel the same way the disciples might have--satisfaction and the hope that a temporary relief of physical suffering might allow people time and resources to escape from poverty and for a spiritual life to grow. However, in numbers, something is gained, but something is also lost. An old saying goes, "Statistics are faces with their tears wiped away."
Dorothy Day herself described this conundrum best. "This last year, at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality, we gave out, roughly speaking and underestimating at that, 460,000 meals. This is what the world sees and if we wished to impress the world, we would multiply this by eighteen years and the figure would be truly impressive. But suppose a mother should say, 'I've put one thousand and ninety-five meals on the table this year. I've washed fifty thousand plates. It is easy to see how foolish it is to look at things in this light. I am sure God is not counting the meals. He is looking at Tony Aratari, Joe Monroe, Ray Taylor, turning off their alarm clocks at five every morning to go downstairs to start the coffee, cut the bread."
Jesus took care of multitudes, but He seems most concerned with the number one--each one of us--the lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son (Luke, Chapter 15). And even though he said, "the poor will always be among you," (Mark 14:7), He did not intend for us to give up in despair. Dorothy Day also said, "Yes, the Lord said the poor will always be with us, but we are not content that there be so many of them. The class structure is our making and by our consent, not God's and we must do what we can to change it."
To help with this ministry, visit the Dorothy Day Center's website, http://www.thedorothydaycenter.com/ and click on the link Volunteer Opportunities for 2011.
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