Breaking Bread

We're going to do an exercise. Something to get you to realize just how big of an impact we, as individuals, as churches, and as NGOs have on feeding the hungry in this country. Take a look at the section of circles below. There are 24 of them, each representing an equal portion of the monetary value of all supplemental food in the United States. How many of these 24 circles do we, outside of the federal government, represent? Think it through thoughtfully before you continue.

0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0

Now that you've thought critically about how large of an impact those outside of the federal government have, here's how it really breaks down. The red circles are non-federal giving.

0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0

Do you see that? One circle. 1/24th of all supplemental food is given by sources outside of the federal government. If you haven't heard yet the House of Representatives past a bill this last week that would cut SNAP benefits by $40,000,000,000 over ten years. That's $4,000,000,000 a year. It just so happens that each of the circles above represent $4,000,000,000. Which means in ten years time, if this bill were to become law, would get rid of ten of the circles. Here's what we have now compared to what we could have in ten years, side by side.

Now........Ten years from now

0 0 0...0 0 0
0 0 0...0 0 0
0 0 0...0 0 0
0 0 0...0 0 0
0 0 0...0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0

Food pantries are over worked already. Money going into the pantries has decreased and there are more people that need to use the pantries than ever. My placement site, AUMS, has struggled to meet the growing demand as support as diminished. In order for those most in need to still just barely get by at the current level our churches and NGOs and individuals would have to double their giving next year. Then they'd have to do that every year after that until 2024. And that's only to stay at the current, too low, levels. We cannot meet this need with food drives or store donations. 

The United Methodist community, the ecumenical community, and the inter-faith community need to respond to the food crises in this country and we need to respond in a way that doesn't give us warm and fuzzy feelings. We need to write, call, and email our representatives in the house and senate and tell them to not cut SNAP. In fact we need to tell them that SNAP needs more money. Congress doesn't like to look at the facts. But SNAP is the most efficient government program. For every dollar spent by the government $1.79 is put back into the economy. No other government program can touch those numbers. 

But why should we care?

Is not this the fast that we have chosen? Is it not to share our bread with the hungry? Feeding people, even if economically painful, is the right thing to do. But when it makes sense economically, how can we even debate it like it's an issue? Yet we debate it, and our nation pushes to cut the help for those in need. So let me take a moment to talk about where we are in this debate.

Justice is far from us and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but there is darkness. For brightness, but we walk in gloom. We reach for the wall like the blind, reaching as if we had no eyes. We stumble under the sun at noon as if it were pitch black out. We have become as if we are dead in a desolate place. We all growl like bears and moan sadly like a dove. We look out for justice, but there is none. We look for salvation, but it is so far from us because our transgressions have been multiplied. Our sins testify against us, because our transgressions are with us. And as for our iniquities, we know them: in transgressing and lying against our God; and departing from our God; and speaking oppression and revolt; and conceiving and uttering from our hearts false words. Justice is turned back and righteousness stands far off. Truth has fallen in the street and equity cannot enter. And so truth fails, and those that depart from evil have made themselves prey. And God has seen all this and it displeased him. That there was no justice. He saw that there was none and has been appalled that there has been no one to intervene. 

So I beg all of you, organize your friends, family, loved ones, communities, and churches around standing for justice. We need to intervene. We need to advocate. The more you advocate the stronger our voices will be heard. So please, go to www.bread.org and read about what's happening and email your representative. Or click here to go straight to the form to email your representative. But do more. Use that website to find resources on how to engage and organize your church and community into action. And then click this link to get the phone number for your representatives and senators and call them and tell them how SNAP needs more funding not less. Together we can stand for justice and make an impactful change in Washington. It is time for faith communities to come together and join their prophetic voices for the change the world needs to see.

In the Peace of Christ,

Amen.