Boxes, dishes, buildings, digital storage—you name it: container capacity is an essential practical concern. When you're baking at home or in a commercial kitchen the capacity of your measuring cups and spoons needs to be accurately marked. The pan for your cookies, cake, pie, or casserole must properly fit your ingredients and allow for expansion. When you pack a box to send overseas or across town, capacity must be correct for all the items and usually for some cushioning, too. In addition, box measurements must align with capacity stated by the shipping company, whether USPS, UPS, Fedex, DHL, or another.
With the twin container ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach practically within hailing distance, I pay attention to all sorts of capacities related to international shipping. Default container length has increased from twenty feet to forty; you can imagine the increased weight and size they can handle. Then there's the ship's physical capacity in terms of weight, length, depth, and height; capacity of the water to contain how many ships at one time; how many can dock at once.
Aside from baking, shipping, and other everyday notions, as Kate observed, all of us have limited physical and mental capacity to do what we'd like to do, to pursue and attain our dreams. Each of us contains gifts God has given us for the good of community and creation.
In Jesus' time and place, people believed all resources were finite, so everyone assumed a zero-sum existence. If the rich got richer, the poor must have gotten poorer. If someone's social status increased, someone else's had to have decreased. Capacities were fixed and limited! If you believed that to be the case, wouldn't you hesitate to share your time, your talents, your financial treasures?
In his first act of public ministry recorded by Luke, Jesus announced the time of Jubilee when debts will be canceled, when all creation will thrive in shalom-filled "enough." When that time arrives, saving, investing, and stockpiling won't be considerations.
God has given us and we've received capacious talents and gifts, and we've been called to contribute. Do we fear our capacity is limited, the world's needs unlimited? Or do you believe God's capacity to give is unlimited and unchecked, that God will keep on giving to you so you can keeping giving to your community, your family, your church, your friends, the world around you?
Really enjoyed this perspective on capacity. I think we need to realize that our capacity to do anything good is limited, but God's isn't and when he is filling us and working through us, our capacity is expanded. Visiting from FMF#15
ReplyDeleteInteresting take on this week's prompt.
ReplyDeleteLiked "God's capacity to give is unlimited and unchecked."
Your right we do not need to limit the capacity of our gifts and talents. Thank you for sharing your insight, it really made me think about my gifts and using them for God's glory
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