The story of the feeding of the five thousand begins and ends with Jesus and his disciples seeking out solitude in desolate places. First Jesus says to the twelve, “come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.” Then, at the end of the story, Jesus goes by himself, “up on the mountain to pray.”

I’ve been having much trouble lately finding parts of scripture that speak to me. I don’t know why. I tend to get caught up in analysis, always losing the simplicity of the original idea. It leaves me feeling like I just need to let it go. So, I’m drawn to these places in the text where Jesus and his disciples go off to desolate places and pray. They somehow give me great comfort and relief. It’s a practice that I know I can share with them everyday. Here is a great Byzantine prayer:

Serene light, shining in the
Ground of my being,
Draw me to yourself,
Draw me past the snares
Of the senses,
Out of the mazes of the mind,
Free me from symbols, from words,
That I may discover
The Signified,
The Word unspoken
In the darkness
That veils the ground of my being.

Jake Fulmer