Day 122: A WEEK OF PRAYER FOR OUR WORLD IN CRISIS - World Hunger

DAY 122

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland

Week Eighteen – Tuesday 14 July 2020

A WEEK OF PRAYER FOR OUR WORLD IN CRISIS

World Hunger

Almighty God,  we thank you for making the earth fruitful, so that it might produce what is needed for life: bless those who work in the fields; give us seasonable weather; and grant that we may all share the fruits of the earth, rejoicing in your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - The Book of Common Prayer: For Agriculture

“The world is facing multiple famines of ‘biblical proportions’ in just a matter of months, the UN has said, warning that the coronavirus pandemic will push an additional 130 million people to the brink of starvation. While dealing with a Covid-19 pandemic, we are also on the brink of a hunger pandemic. When added to the 821 million people already chronically hungry, that scenario would push more than 1 billion people into dire situations.” - Recent international news outlet story

It’s easy to pray that “we may all share the fruits of the earth” but the reality is that hundreds of millions do not. “Break my heart with the things that break the heart of God,” was the daily prayer of the late Bob Pierce, founder of both World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse, major hunger ministries. If the world seems too big to start with, I know a man who quietly clips coupons, fills his car trunk with food and regularly delivers it to a local feeding ministry – a good place to start.

For learning more, here are the three largest Christian hunger ministries in the world:

Food for the Hungry: fh.org

World Vision International: worldvision.org

Samaritan’s Purse: samaritanspurse.org

Reflective question: Will you expose yourself to world hunger by going online to learn more?

Reflective Scripture: Matthew 25:35,37,40 – “’I was hungry and you gave me something to eat …’ ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you …?’ ‘… whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers you did for me.’”

Reflective hymn:

“Let Your Heart be Broken” –  Bryan Jeffrey Leech (1931-2015)

Let your heart be broken for a world in need:

Feed the mouths that hunger, soothe the wounds that bleed.

Give the cup of water and the loaf of bread –

Be the hands of Jesus serving in His stead.