Tag Archives: Food for all

Having Enough

DroughtLent
February 18, 2016

Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:17-4:1

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. –Philippians 3:17-19

The very thought of anyone imitating me as an example of following Christ is frightening. Even Paul himself, the author of the letter to the Philippians, said, I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15) Yet I long for the day when my life has been fulfilled in the image of Christ. In the meantime, we all struggle to be Christ-like while asking for forgiveness when we fail and diligently pursuing wholeness in our relationship with God in response to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My god has indeed been my belly at times, literally in over indulgences and figuratively as I live out the greed that is epidemic in our world every day in my actions and reactions. I live in a small house in comparison to many, so I was shocked when my five-year-old nephew asked me, “Why do you live in this big old house all by yourself?” My niece, his mother, was struggling to make ends meet as a single mom with two children living on the salary of a preschool teacher in a house that was about two thirds the size of mine. By the way she succeeded in raising two wonderful young adults.

I saw an interview on the news yesterday with a grandmother raising three grandchildren in South Africa. The drought there is so bad there is not enough food to meet basic needs. She sent the children to school with no breakfast knowing that they would get a small bowl of porridge at school, their only meal of the day. She and a younger child, who stayed home with her, shared some fruit she plucked from a withering tree.

Our weather is wreaking havoc around the world as is income inequity because for too many our god is our belly. The God of Adam and Jesus created a world capable of sustaining its inhabitants once we learn God’s way of practicing dominion over it.

Prayer: Lord forgive us for our inability to see how the way we live impacts all your other children. Help us to understand your way, as you demonstrated with the manna in the dessert, of assuring that each of us have enough. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, 
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

Privileged and Entitled

jesus_prayingLiving in the Spirit
October 16, 2015

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. –Hebrews 5:7-10

We are a society of privileged, entitled people. We do not see it in ourselves because it is our norm. We take for granted food on our tables, heat in the winter, cooling in the summer, clean water, showers every day or more, cars to drive with gas in the tank, health care available, insurance to pay for it, college for our children, and on and on until it is suddenly all gone. Fires on the west coast and floods on the east have resulted in people finding themselves with nothing of material substance. Most will have insurance and government disaster programs are available as is the generosity of friends and neighbors, but such loss causes a reordering of the things we value in life.

There are, of course, people who are a part of our society that do not share this same reality. They do not know where their next meal will come from, sleep on heat exhaust vents to keep warm in the winter, and wander into libraries or malls to cool down in the summer. There feet are their primary source of transportation, the emergency room their health care system.

Jesus was the son of God but he never took that for granted. He lived a life of reverent submission fully aware of his privileges and entitlements yet willing to give it all up in his quest to share the love of God with us. We are the heirs to his accomplishments and need to order our lives within the context of God’s love not the lesser life of privilege and entitlement. God wants everyone to enjoy the abundance of his love and that includes having food on every table.

Prayer: God of Justice, order our lives in your love and help us to see what is truly important and work to make that a reality for all. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.