As we bask in the glow of our memories of the Thanksgiving weekend and try to figure out what to do with all the leftovers, I would invite all of us to think about being hungry. It is really heartwarming to see all the free Thanksgiving dinners and food drives that take place in the weeks leading up to the unofficial first day of Christmas shopping mayhem – the level of generosity during that time is amazing! We should all be proud of how we respond to people’s needs; having been one of those kids whose parents barely got by, I remember the many times people in our church helped us out. Sometimes it was food or a Christmas tree; once, an especially generous church member gave my mom a car! It was old, but it ran like a dream. It warms the heart to know this happens a lot.
But – and there often is a but in this kind of story – what about this Thursday? According to Feeding America, one of every five children in America – that’s 14 million and counting – go hungry every day. UNICEF reports that nearly 282 million people in 59 countries and territories experienced high levels of acute hunger in 2023 — 24 million more than the previous year. There are a lot of factors involved in these massive numbers, but the four biggest reasons are war, low incomes, lack of affordable housing, and discrimination. Our church has run an emergency food pantry for over 25 years, and there have been numerous times this year when we had to close down for lack of food. And we have a number of generous people who bring food regularly, as well as another congregation – Bausman United Church of Christ in Wyomissing – who collects large amounts for us. There is a weekly food giveaway just around the corner that feeds over 250 families a week. And they are just one of many.
It feels good to send a $50 check at Christmas to help people in need. It feels good to throw a dollar in the Salvation Army bucket. And yet, all of these feel-good moments, while satisfying, don’t solve the problem. And sure – there are people who game the system. I just had to tell a man this week who comes way too often and is aggressive and rude to our staff, that he was no longer welcome. He is the rare example; 99% of the people we help every day are thankful, and the vast majority have jobs. This problem isn’t new, so don’t get political. “The poor you will have with you always”, Jesus said. Not because God wants it, but because we can’t seem to figure out how to turn our abundance into enough for everyone. Most of us seem to be able to live well, yet we focus on scarcity. We have enough, as a world and as a country. People are still hungry. I think we can do the math.
Prayer – Holy God, move us to greater generosity as we help those who have difficulty helping themselves. We are Your hands and feet – help us to feed the world. Amen.
Today’s art is artwork by Ruth Beradany Claros Gómez, aged 13, of Honduras.
Your 2-week mission – buy a small bag of food and a 10- or 20-dollar supermarket gift card and give it to the next person you see holding a sign that says they are hungry. No cash, just the bag.