...and hast revealed them to babes

So the other day I was in a high school Sunday School class, and we were talking about the feeding of the five thousand. I wanted to make a point about how this miracle is an image of the Kingdom of God, where everything is shared, where there is always enough for everyone, and where no one ever goes without. I wanted to contrast this image with the way things actually work in the world in which we live. So I asked the kids a question: "Under ordinary circumstances, if you had five loaves and two fish and five thousand hungry people, who would end up getting the food?"

The answer I was expecting: "The strongest" or "the fastest."

The answer I got: "The ones with guns."

Well, duh.

In other news, a new website recommendation: Public Theology. A tres cool site with lots of interesting articles on religion and civic discourse. Check it out.

Also, two new books on the coffee table: Telling Tales, a collection of stories edited by Nadine Gordimer, with essays by the likes of Susan Sontag, Arthur Miller, and John Updike. Even better, all the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to AIDS education and treatment. And Small Wonder, a gorgeous collection of essays by Barbara Kingsolver I am slowly re-reading, savoring, because I need all the optimism I can muster to get through the inauguration tomorrow.