This Sunday, we celebrate Bread for the World Sunday. According to their website, “Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.” They lobby politicians to do the right thing, to live into the faith that the overwhelming majority claim as their own. To do so, they leverage a lot of facts and figures about the need for and the success of anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs. I encourage you to look at those sobering facts. But more than that, this week I encourage you to live in solidarity with the hungry by fasting.
Try missing a meal. Or a day of meals. Allow yourself to feel what the hungry of the world feel. I can’t say it will be fun, but millions of people do it every day. Only they do it without choice, without the luxury of knowing they can end it at any time. You may think that person sits in Africa, suffering from drought and war – and certainly that is true – but that person also lives on your block and works in your building and sits next to your kid at school.
I understand that the demands of your life may be such that you can’t fast. Don’t worry. I have an alternative. Set aside some time to pray for those who hunger. Spend an hour or five minutes – whatever you have – meditating on hunger, praying for relief, being transformed into the sort of person that sees the problems of the poor and seeks to bring them good news.
Whether you are able to fast or not, please join us on Sunday, 11am at Kidd Springs Rec Center. We will be taking up a collection for Bread for the World, perhaps the money you saved fasting or a “matching program” for the money you spent on food. And we will do a letter offering, writing to policy-makers to encourage them to support programs to alleviate hunger. Hope to see you there!
Grace and Peace,
Scott