The Surprising Mathematics of the Gospel

“5 + 2 = 5,000”

These were the intriguing numbers on the T-shirt held up before us by the Delegate of the Provincial of Korea in Cambodia, Fr. Gabriel Je, at the start of our JCEAO [Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania] meeting last June 26. He explained the strange mathematics of the equation by simply flipping the shirt around. The back of the t-shirt depicted five loaves, two fishes, and many smiling faces.

That equation has stayed with me throughout these intense days of meeting on our shared mission in East Asia and Oceania here in Tokyo. It captures vividly for me our reality, our response, and our hope, all of which we touched on during these days.

First, our reality: that of a dire scarcity of resources before the enormous challenges of mission in our region. As we discussed the challenges we face in our missions in Thailand, in East Timor, in Myanmar, in China, in Cambodia, in Micronesia, in Japan, the image of five loaves and two fishes seemed particularly apt. In some of our provinces or regions, that scarcity takes the form of the lack of material resources or educational facilities. In some places, the lack is experienced in the realm of spirit or morale, or in the perceived absence of creative leadership. In some areas, that poverty is simply one of warm bodies, of Jesuit manpower. For example, I was very struck that the Japanese Province, with about 246 Jesuits, counts only nine scholastics in that number.

Second, our response: that of daring to share despite our poverty. The only reason why so many were fed from so little was because the disciples took the risk of sharing the little they had. Despite the temptation to hoard ideas, resources or personnel to take care of the legitimate concerns of our own provinces, the major superiors found themselves trying to do the same thing. These JCEAO meetings are inspiring events of sharing: friends in the Lord daring to share our limited manpower, resources, energy and concern for the sake of our common, more universal mission in Asia and Oceania. No Province or Region in the Assistancy has not "sacrificed" some of its most precious and limited resource, Jesuit manpower, for the sake of the needs of our Assistancy. I was consoled to hear of the Indonesians in Myanmar and Thailand, the Myanmarese in Micronesia, the Filipinos in East Timor and Cambodia, the Koreans in Cambodia and Japan, the Vietnamese in East Timor and Japan, and so forth.

Third, our hope: that the surprising mathematics of the Gospel will continue to operate in our time and in our world of Asia and Oceania; that limited resources shared in faith and in love, and surrendered into the Lord’s hands, will be multiplied beyond our imagining.

One morning, we prayed a beautiful prayer for the beatification of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, which spoke of Fr. Arrupe's "boundless optimism." I am grateful that, despite all our limitations and difficulties, our Conference of Jesuit major superiors in East Asia seems to have been given a share of that "optimism" as we face the future of our mission.