This Sunday (Nov 4, 2007) we have Pastor Gerry Rignalda leading service. He will be speaking on the theme of World Hunger, based on Matthew 14:13-21, You Give Them Something To Eat.
So here is the question, what is our responsibility as Christ-followers to the millions of people worldwide who do not have enough to eat? How does world hunger affect us? How we eat? How we spend our money? How we shop? So many questions, sometimes its easier to do the ostrich, bury our head!
Any thoughts?
I find the first step is becoming connected with individuals from other countries. The impact has to affect us deeply and personally before we will become passionate to find solutions and contribute to the needs of others.
Some are able to actually fly to areas of the world on a short-term missions trip and meet face to face with these realities and meet people and get to know their personal struggles.
For me – who has never travelled to a third world country, what best influences me is the reading of various novels that draw me into the atmosphere of what people face day to day in other areas of the world. These novels bring me to their soil, to the sounds and smells and fears that people face everyday. They bring me to their personal thoughts and struggles and the reasoning that dictates their lack of options. Then it starts to process in my mind as I go around in my own life. The contrasts of the freedoms of what we enjoy compared to the lives revealed in the novels make an impact.
I am currently reading “A fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry that talks about the caste system in India.
Even though I have not travelled to India or Africa or Ukraine, I feel I have been more deeply introduced to these people and their struggles through the pages of literature.
I feel I have been engaged and sensitive to respond. I contribute to agencies that request for aid and I trust that the aid is being properly and responsibly distributed.
But more can be done – I feel I am ready to respond – but I suppose I keep waiting for others to voice their readiness as well.
Do we start a new agency? Do we do fundraising to support a current agency?
We don’t need to travel to another country to start up a mission post – we can create one right here – lets keep talking – I am willing to be a part of the answer.