August 2, 2026 – The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Zane Scarlett
It was advertised as going to be 3 days of peace, love, and music. In August of 1969, the young people of America, who were wanting to make America over in their own image, set out on the road to find a new way of connecting with each other. A music festival called Woodstock caught the attention of young counter-culture people from all over, and they made the journey any way that they could. A poorly planned event that, based on ticket sales, had expected to attract 3,000 to 5,000 attendees was soon overwhelmed beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. When thousands turned up without tickets, the promoters made the decision to make it a free event. All were welcome, none were turned away, fulfilling the promise that this generation’s priorities were more about love and less about money. Ultimately 450,000 people showed up. Some came with tents or sleeping bags; but most just came as they were. The event was ill-equipped to take care of this crowd; and these young people were ill-equipped for living outdoors for 3 days. Food vendors ran out of food; and these people had to be fed. People who lived in the area brought food from their own homes to share with these “crazy hippies.” Under bad conditions, the festival went on. For 3 days, 450,000 strangers became a family and they showed the world that people can live in peace with one another. This was a generation that been talking about peace and love in their outrage against a war that no one understood and that was being waged by governments and politicians; but was being fought by the young who were just like those at Woodstock. This was a generation that was now living what they had been talking about. They showed that it was not just talk, that they could live in peace under adverse conditions. This event was a defining moment in our history. We became known as the Woodstock generation. Whether you were there or not, we all learned a lesson. Love meant sharing with strangers and caring for your neighbors; and if we all do that, we can live in peace.
In August of 1969, we were still angered by the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. The war in Viet Nam occupied our consciences and the civil rights movement had divided us, rather than unite us. We had come to an understanding that the old established ways were not the way we wanted this world to be. We were searching for a new way to live and a new way to make sense of it all. In today’s Gospel, Jesus has just learned of the death of John the Baptist. Jesus had been a follower of John, and he had come to realize his own calling after his baptism by John. John’s death by the hand of those in power hit Jesus hard with the realization of his own future. With John gone, Jesus was now the counter-culture leader. Protesting those in power is a dangerous position and Jesus could see his fate at the hands of the powerful. Jesus wanted to get away by himself to grieve; but he also wanted to pray to God, the Father, about how to proceed. Just as he had done after his baptism, being alone with God would give him direction. So Jesus started out on his journey to look for a lonely place and to find answers.
God gave Jesus an answer; but it did not include being alone. People from all around were also affected by John’s death and they came to see Jesus. In their seeking to find healing from their grief, they came to see Jesus. In their seeking to find acceptance because they were outcasts, they came to see Jesus. In their seeking to find healing from the physical afflictions that made them unclean in the eyes of the religious leaders, they came to see Jesus. And Jesus saw them with compassion. And Jesus healed them and loved them and refused to turn them away. Jesus said all are welcome. Come as you are.
The people discovered that this was what love and peace looks like. Sometimes being alone is good and necessary. But love has to be shared and that requires other people. Each person in that crowd had followed Jesus to that lonely place for their own reasons, not knowing that others were doing the same thing for their own reasons. But when they all arrived and found Jesus, they found that they were all part of a new family of disciples. And this family gave them what they needed. They each had thought that they were not acceptable, but here they were accepted and welcomed. Here they found love and peace; not only from Jesus, but from each other. And they did not want to leave. They didn’t want to go back to life the way it had been. They had found the love of Jesus. So they stayed and they talked and they laughed and they celebrated. But life requires something more. They needed to eat; and there was no food. No one had planned for this crowd. Jesus was told to send them home, but this event was too good to end. Love found a way and the people were fed. The 12 disciples watched as the impossible happened. Jesus told them to feed the people, and they did as Jesus told them. And the people were fed. The people found love. The disciples found faith. They all found that the kingdom of heaven had shown up and had taken hold of them. And they all wanted to stay there.
In the past few week’s Gospel readings, Jesus has been using parables to tell people what the kingdom of heaven is like. In today’s lesson, Jesus shows them the kingdom of heaven. And when the people see it, when they realize that they are a part of that kingdom, that’s the miracle. The miracle was taking place before the feeding and eating started. The miracle that day was that all of these people came together and the love of God was there.
In August of 1969, the kingdom of heaven showed up for 3 days of peace and love, and a whole group of outcasts and strangers became a family. In August of 2026, the kingdom of heaven is here in this place as we share God’s love and pass the peace. You don’t need a ticket. Come as you are because all are welcome, none are turned away. When you pass the peace remember that you are sharing the kingdom of heaven. It is a gift from God, and we should all celebrate it as the miracle that it is. And when we come to this table to celebrate the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and to be fed by his love, remember that it is communion, not only with God, but with each other. The kingdom of heaven has shown up here today. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.