‘People at once recognised him and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats.’ From today’s Gospel, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56.
‘Computer says no!’ Catchphrase from ‘Little Britain’, the comedy show.
A great deal has happened in the sixth chapter of St Mark’s Gospel before today’s reading. Jesus has been rejected in his own home town, the disciples have been sent out by him instead so that the word would still be proclaimed and John the Baptist has been beheaded. Events are unfolding quickly and time is pressing – as word spreads that Jesus is around, Mark indicates that the crowd ‘hurried’ to meet the disciples, that they ‘arrived ahead of them’ and that they ‘rushed about’ to bring the sick to him. In their haste, the crowd seems to be acting like sheep without a shepherd, so desperate are they for healing and short-term solutions, and Jesus begins to teach them to see things differently. All who come to him are healed but it’s clear that the disciples have returned worn out by the mission on which Jesus had sent them as they begin to report back to him. In telling him what they’ve done and taught, he recognises that they are exhausted and urges them to come to a deserted place to take rest for they have had no time for this or even to eat. As they leave in the boat, the people who are there see what’s happening and rush ahead of them so that a great crowd is waiting on their arrival. The pressures on them and the needs of the people are constant and Jesus and the disciples find their plans for rest are blocked by events.
That is very much a factor in life today which, with instant and widespread electronic communication as well as word of mouth, can proceed at great speed and exhaust many to the point of burn out or breakdown. The worldwide chaos caused by the recent security IT meltdown which created computer disruption in so many ways meant that millions were faced with the immediate end of activities and plans, the consequences of which will take a long time to resolve even though a fix has now been found. As one IT consultant observed, “This is the price we pay for being so reliant on digital infrastructure.” Should it be, however?
It’s astonishing how quickly some huge institutions ground to a halt and how paralysed their systems speedily became, in many cases causing great inconvenience but in others having life-threatening results as operations and consultations were cancelled or medicines could not be dispensed because there was no access to patient records or procedures. Only computers using Microsoft Windows and the security protection CrowdStrike were affected – but windows through which to view the world turned blue and blank, creating utter travel chaos on one of the busiest days of the year. A salutary story of our times – it was reported that some businesses even had to resort to handwritten notices! Lessons will be learned from this, not least to take action to diversify rather than maintain dependency on the same security systems, but this has also been a golden opportunity for scammers as well as the realisation that cash still has its place when cards fail and a cashless society is not ideal.
Perhaps it’s helpful to realise that business and busy-ness can sometimes create unavoidable pressures that can’t always be resisted. Jesus and his disciples responded to the needs of the crowd but it’s clear that they also took rest and times of retreat when possible. The enforced delay and waiting that the IT meltdown created ironically affected many on the way to taking a break and have a holiday but may also be a reminder that human beings are not as in control as is sometimes thought. At times when that happens and plans are frustrated by events, it may be helpful to remember that at the heart of the Christian faith is one who also knew what it was to be busy, hungry, weary and stressed. When we find that happening to us too, perhaps we are closer than we realise to the one whose example teaches us to CrowdLove rather than CrowdStrike?
With my prayers; pob bendith,
Christine, Priest Guardian.