5Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” 6 Jesus said this to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “More than a half year’s salary worth of food wouldn’t be enough for each person to have even a little bit.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, 9 “A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?”
(John 6:5-9)
The ideas for the “Change the World” series are simple. The reality of living out these ideas on a daily basis is remarkably difficult. For example, this past Sunday our focus was on “feeding the hungry”. Food and water are clearly among the most basic necessities for life. Our planet has enough clean water available and we grow enough food to provide these basic necessities for everyone, and yet hunger and thirst are critical problems in many places in our world.
As Christians, the call to feed the hungry is unequivocal. The prophets bring words of judgment to the powerful for failing to care for those in poverty (Isaiah 32:6). Similarly, the prophets paint a vision of God’s desire for a world of justice and righteousness where the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, and the homeless find shelter in our homes (Isaiah 58:6-10). Jesus shares with us an image of the last judgment where the criteria are nothing more than “I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink . . . I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.” (Matthew 25:31-46)
Many Christians have a habit of over-spiritualizing issues of hunger. They believe our focus should only be on the spiritual hunger that exists around our world. While Jesus did say “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), scripture is clear in the both the Old and New Testaments that we are to offer both spiritual food AND actual food to those who are hungry. In James 2:14-17: “My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say that they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it? Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. What if one of you said, ‘Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!’? What good is it if you don’t actually give them what their body needs? In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity?”
What can we do?
In Gainesville:
Bread for the Mighty Food Bank: http://www.breadofthemighty.org/
St. Francis House: http://www.stfrancishousegnv.org/
Elsewhere:
United Methodist Committee of Relief (UMCOR):
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/hunger/
General Board of Global Ministries
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/work/hunger/
