If you're reading this blog (and thanks for doing so, by the way), it is probably safe to assume that you enjoy reading in general. And if you're like me your desk or bedtime nightstand is piled high of books that you intend to read at some point. I don't anticipate this blog becoming a book review, but I did want to share with you a small book that is well worth your time and worthy of making the jump to the top of that pile.
Imagine Democrat George McGovern, Republican Bob Dole and seminary professor Donald Messer hanging out. Talk about a motley crew! In fact, the three came together a few years ago to compile a wonderful little book, Ending Hunger Now. Hunger, as we all know, is no simple issue. We've all heard any number of statistics about worldwide hunger; here are just a few to get us thinking:
- Every day, 30,000 people die of starvation. That’s like the combined undergraduate enrollment of Wake Forest (my alma mater) and the University of North Carolina (my wife's school) disappearing every 24 hours.
- Every three seconds, a person dies of hunger. Depending on the speed with which you read, roughly eight people have died since you started reading my blog.
- Hunger is particularly cruel to children, claiming the life of a child every fifteen seconds.
Stats like these - and the many others out there - paint a picture that is both shocking and downright depressing. The authors of Ending Hunger Now rightfully recognize that we cannot ignore hunger anymore – the religious community, the political leadership, everyone. We must work together to end hunger now. And the good news is, we can end it! For the first time in human history, we actually possess the resources and technology to put an end to extreme poverty and hunger. This is not pie-in-the-sky dreaming– this is a very attainable goal. And that means it’s no longer an ethical option but a moral obligation. The only remaining issue is whether we care enough to do something about it.
Many people across all kinds of faiths are realizing more and more that the religious community has a particularly urgent calling to deal with worldwide hunger. As one who is cut from the Christian cloth, I find this point made most emphatically in the story of the feeding of the 5000, Matthew's version. And it's a shame when people get so enamored with the "wow factor" of this story - how one man fed thousands of people with nothing more than table scraps. Miracles are great and all, but to be honest I think folks are missing the real point.
See, imagine the scene: Jesus is in throes of the people, doing what he always does. Meanwhile the disciples start looking around.....at the crowd, and how big it is.....and the setting sun....dinnertime....and they put two and two together and realize they've got a problem on their hands. Something must be done. So they pull Jesus aside. Hey, sorry to bother you, man, but listen – we're out here in the middle of nowhere and it's getting late. These folks haven't eaten all day, you know. They really need to get going; get home and get themselves some food, Jesus – you understand...... Jesus looks at them and in a calm but determined tone says to them: They don't need to go anywhere. YOU give them something to eat.
We know how the story ends, but let's push the pause button for a second. This little exchange between Jesus and the disciples really does demonstrate two contrasting responses to hunger. The disciples see thousands of hungry people they simply cannot feed. And the only thing they can think of puts the responsibility on the shoulders of the hungry person – sending them away so they can go about the task of finding their own food. Jesus, though, sees it entirely differently. You don't solve the problem of hunger by sending people away. Jesus seems to say: it's YOUR responsibility to feed them. Don't leave them up to their own devices, and don't let yourself off the hook that easily. YOU go and give them something to eat. YOU feed them.
For a long time now I believe our culture's attitude - and even the attitude of well-meaning Christians - has been right in line with the disciples. The problem of hunger is too big to handle by ourselves, we rationalize - so let someone else do it. Or, better, yet, let them figure it out on their own. Kind of reminds me of the oft-quoted phrase "The Lord helps those who helps themselves" - commonly thought to be a verse from the Bible, although it isn't (it's true, try looking it up. You won't find it).
Contrast that with the clear mandate Jesus gives - that we can and need to do something. And this is precisely the point of the McGovern/Dole/Messer book. In addition to going into some of the foundational causes and problems of worldwide hunger, the book also offers practical advice on what the average person can do to fight hunger local, domestic and worldwide - all in just over a hundred pages. If for no other reason, the reference section in the back of the book, with dozens of organizations one can get involved with (including phone numbers and website addresses), is worth purchasing the book.
Of course, reading a book like this means precious little if you don't strive to put its principles into action. So let me share a few organizations I'm involved with - and I would encourage you to mention any other organizations you know of in the post's comments:
- Bread For The World - a nonpartisan citizens' movement of 54,000 people of faith, including 2,500 churches, to end hunger. This group puts a lot of resources into our nation's capital to make sure that legislation is passed that serves to fight hunger domestically and globally.
- The One Campaign - an extensive effort to rally Americans, ONE by ONE , to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. No money is asked for - all they want is your voice.
- Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest) - the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization, distributing food to 26 million hungry Americans each year through a network of 200 food banks.
- CROP Hunger Walk - these are joint ventures between local communities and an organization called Church World Service, a cooperative ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance in some 80 countries. For the past two years I've helped to organize Mount Airy's CROP Hunger Walk. Not only has it been great at raising funds for both local and international hunger relief efforts, but it's helped to raise awareness as well.
The book retails for just over $10 (under $10 used), a bargain for what you and others can get out of it. I'd highly recommend it for personal reading or even to use in some study group (for aduls and youth as well). Fighting hunger is no longer about lacking the resources but about the will for us to do something. Here's hoping we can own up to our responsibility as people of faith and the human race.
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