Biblical Text: Isaiah 58:10-11 "If you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Reflection: When asked to write a reflection on behalf of the Prayer & Action Against Hunger Coalition, touching on glacier preservation, I recognised the complexity of the global hunger crisis. Hunger is a multifaceted issue that impacts the whole world and has an impact across ecosystems. In 2022, between 691-783 million people were facing hunger. The main driver? Climate change. Climate change is impacting our glaciers; the loss of glaciers means less meltwater to support the food systems, drinking water, and sanitation that supports billions of people.I was very struck by this vivid image. These issues go hand in hand and if we are to pray for the end of hunger, we must pray for the restoration and recreation of nature, in this instance glaciers. While I am writing this reflection, the world leaders of various governments are meeting in Paris under the auspices of the Nutrition for growth Summit, addressing ending hunger and malnutrition.
Our artwork this year for the Weekend of Prayer & Action Against Hunger is a piece called "The Shared Table" by Esther Douglas. The artist wrote these words about her creation:
“Jesus repeatedly shared meals with many different groups of people in the Bible, from the last supper with his disciples, to his meal shared with Zacchaeus after beckoning him down from the tree; He loved to share food with people. This image of the shared table hopefully encourages us to meditate on the ’shared table,’ both literal and metaphorical.“
Sarah Larkin from Integral Alliance wrote a reflection about The Shared Table artwork in which we are reminded about the biblical call for hospitality. The empty chair in the artwork prompts us to recall Jesus as the unseen guest at every meal and to ask ourselves how we might act differently if Jesus were physically in the room with us. Sarah Larkin also draws attention to the image's colour contrast—the light and the dark, the good and the bad. What struck me was how these whites and greys, silvers and deep blues are also the colours of glaciers.
We might ask ourselves the questions: how might we think and act differently about our care for creation and its resources, like food and water, if Jesus were physically in the room with us? Would we waste food so mindlessly? Would we over-consume? Would we think twice about where our food comes from, how far it has travelled to get to our plate, or the amount of water used in its production? Where the water the supports our food comes from and how much of it is left? Would we consider how we treat those who produce, deliver, cook, serve, and tidy up after our food?
These questions are hard to answer and they make us consider what course of action we can take to address these issues. The 10 commandments for food is an excellent resource, full of practical guidelines as to how we can be more mindful about our food consumption and intentional about our hospitality. The PAACH Action Guide also provides practical actions individuals, communities, and families can consider as they ask the questions outlined above. Now, let's not make the mistake of becoming fearful or guilting ourselves into action because Jesus is watching us. We need to remember that this is an invitation to a more full way of being—of living simply so that others may simply live, of coming together and finding the abundance of enough—not too much, not too little, but enough. The Shared Table reflection by Sarah Larkin also challenges us to believe in God’s miraculous provision and multiplication, inspired by the Gospel story of the feeding of the 5,000. Here there was more than enough to go round - there were 12 full baskets left over! If we do have an overflow we can certainly thank God but also seek to bless others by sharing what we can with those who do not have enough. This is a wonderful way to become like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
To conclude with the words of the artist Esther Douglas who asks, “How can we extend the table to others through our physical sharing of food with those who are without? How can we extend the table of prayer, to gather with others together in conversation with the Lord, committing those who are experiencing the effects of the hunger crisis to Him who knows and cares for them? This piece encourages us to think about our own ‘table' and how we can share what we have in practical ways.” Questions for Discussion:- How can we extend the table of hospitality in our own communities, particularly to those affected by climate change?
- In what ways can we take action to preserve the environment and ensure access to clean water for all?
Action:- Prepare a meal using ingredients that come from within 100Kms of where you live. Consider where your food comes from and the unseen costs it may have such as water usage.
- Join us for the Weekend of Prayer & Action Against Hunger or host aFaith Community Nutrition Dialogue,amplifying faith voices calling for change.
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