I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me
something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. Matthew: 25:35
It would therefore be fitting if the coat of arms of every upright
prince were emblazoned with a loaf of bread instead of a lion. Martin
Luther in the Large Catechism, Book of Concord
Jesus and Dr. Martin Luther were both into feeding people who were
hungry. When Jesus spread the good news about the Blessed Community and God’s
great love for humanity, he made sure people had enough to eat, and he did that
more than once. Luther made feeding people a big part of his teaching
about loving and serving our neighbors, including the quotation above from
the Large Catechism. Jesus and Luther helped people when they
needed help without blaming them for being in need. Jesus and Luther
modeled the ministry of feeding people food for physical bodies along with
spiritual food for minds and hearts.
The NW Synod of Wisconsin 2021 Assembly takes place in a few
weeks, and one of the decisions Voting Members will be making is about
challenging the member congregations of the synod to increase their financial support
for ELCA World Hunger. The reasons for this challenge relate to how many people
in our world are either hungry or face ongoing food insecurity.
The resolution includes a lot of data about hunger. From the
United Nations and the World Bank we learn that more than 821 million people,
or almost 11% of the people in our world, are hungry and that 17.5 % of all the
children in the world live in poverty. We also learn that, even though there
had been a dramatic drop in the percentage of people experiencing hunger and
food insecurity since 2014, the number of people experiencing hunger and food
insecurity in the world has been on the rise since 2018.
The thing is, when we are dealing with hunger and food insecurity,
we aren’t just dealing with issues about food. The people who are supported
through programs funded by ELCA World Hunger are more vulnerable to natural
disasters, human conflicts, homelessness, disease, shortened life spans, and a
host of other disadvantages. With our financial support, our church can respond
to hunger and poverty in the United States and throughout the world
comprehensively, with direct relief, education, advocacy, sustainable
development, and community organizing and networking. Our church does this work
so that people have the resources they need to not just survive, but thrive.
When the Voting Members gather online for this year’s assembly,
they will have the opportunity to make visible our love for our neighbors who
face food insecurity, from those who live right here in Wisconsin to those
living in places like Guatemala or Malawi. The resolution asks all
congregations in the NW Synod to take time on a regular basis throughout the
year to call people’s awareness to the problem of hunger and, if they are not
already doing this, to set aside at least one Sunday each year to hear about
the work of ELCA World Hunger and collect an offering to support that work.
The resolution is also about financial support. For each of the
past several years, member congregations and individuals in the NW Synod have
contributed approximately $300,000 to ELCA World Hunger. This is giving above
and beyond what congregations and individuals also donate to local food
pantries and regional food banks like Second Harvest Northern Lakes or Feed My
People. The 2021 resolution challenges congregations and individuals to
collectively increase the total giving each year and meet the goal of
$1,000,000 by April 2024. It’s a modest increase, which makes it doable if
everyone is willing to give a little bit more than in the past.
Whether you are a Voting Member of the 2021 Synod Assembly or not,
please take the time to learn more about the resolution and the needs of the
hungry before the resolution comes up for a vote on Thursday, April 15. There
are Forums on April 8, 11, 12, & 13 scheduled where Voting Members in
particular can learn more as well as get some orientation to the Zoom platform
for the meeting [URL: http://nwswi.org/home/calendar-of-events]. And
along with praying for the people who don't have enough food, please do
whatever you can to make a difference in the lives of people who are hungry
throughout our world.
Be safe. Be well. Be assured that we are all in God’s hands.
Deacon David Rask Behling
Hunger and Justice Advocate,
Northwest Synod of Wisconsin
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