In Acts 5, with regards to how to treat the Apostles of Jesus, Gamaliel, in his wisdom, counsels restraint by relying on past experiences. If a movement is merely human, it will fade; but if it is from God, opposing it risks fighting God Himself. In John 6, the hungry crowd was able to glimpse that God was at work in Jesus — it was not merely a human enterprise; it had its origin in God. Together, these passages invite discernment: how do we recognise God's action and presence amid uncertainty? For Gamaliel, it was the threat of another new movement in his Jewish society. For the crowd of five thousand, it was hunger, but their hunger was satisfied miraculously.

God works quietly and in small ways, like a small boy with five barley loaves and two fish. Can we be aware of God in this way? Like Gamaliel, even though at times we may be overzealous, are we able to slowly reflect and trust in the slow movements of God. This calls for humble witness. We are not asked to prove God by power or dominance, but to offer what we have — time, compassion, integrity — and allow God to multiply it for the good of all. In workplaces, families, and multi-religious communities, such quiet faith may seem insignificant. Yet if this way of love, service, and hope truly comes from God, it will endure. And we discover, much to our surprise, that God is feeding others through us.