Captives Freed

Not surprisingly, as I've undergone my rice and beans fast this month, I've been thinking a lot about hunger. As I've mentioned before, questions of when am I going to eat next, what am I going to eat next, how can I make rice and beans in a different way, and the like have been common. Sometimes I feel like my time is marked by the answering of these questions... But, I've also been thinking about hunger as a lifestyle for many people.

I'm only experiencing hunger on a low level. This current fast is a choice I've made; I could end it at any time. I'm limited to rice and beans, but I have the means to purchase as much of these two types of food as I want. Plus, I'm supplementing what I'm eating with vitamins.

Physically, I'm also only experiencing hunger at its least intensive level. The headaches, for example, lasted for only two days. I am noticing a lack of energy and for a few days my memory seemed to have completely disappeared, but as I take vitamins and don't push myself so hard, I can get through the day just fine.

All this has made me think about how we seem to expect people who are chronically hungry to be able to pull themselves out of poverty. Without even considering issues of economics, race, gender, and geography, we forget all they are up against:
Lack of energy
Decreased memory and mental alertness
Health issues
Distraction (Food becomes their sole focus)

Could you function during your day with these realities?

So, how do we help people who live in hunger and poverty climb out from those prisons? Well, maybe if we start by meeting their dietary and health needs, the rest will follow. Call me naive or optimistic, but it seems to me that if a person feels better, their chances of succeeding increases. I'm not calling for handouts; I'm calling for empowerment. And, providing clean drinking water seems like a great first step.

I can't change people's geographic location or economic condition. Nor can I quickly change prejudices they are up against. But, I can help make their bodies strong, their minds quick, and their attitudes expectant. So, that is where I will start and I will pray over the rest.


Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."
                        - John 6:35