The Response

I am glad to write that I did not break my fast early.  I made it all night without eating, successfully skipping lunch and dinner.  I am glad that I did it; however, it was rough enough that I think I will stick to fasting just one meal at a time unless I have good reason to do otherwise.

So what was my reason for fasting two meals?  I started telling you about my visit with my friend, and my thoughts on the unanswered question of why God allows his loved ones to suffer.

During our discussion, my friend said that she does not have an answer to the question, but she does have a response.  Why don’t WE do something?  How can we call God cruel for standing by and allowing the African famine to continue, when we are standing by and allowing the African famine to continue?

Isn’t that a good question?

I’ve been wondering if perhaps God acts in proportion to our actions.  I think of the boy who gave his loaves and fishes to Jesus’ disciples, and Jesus fed more than 5000 people with that small amount of groceries.  Jesus could have conjured food out of nothing, but he waited for someone to say, “Here.  You can have what I’ve got.”  And then, and only then, he did the miracle.

Could it be that, if we truly desire for God to take action against hunger, poverty, and injustice, we must first take action against hunger, poverty, and injustice?  Could it be that we don’t see what he is already doing because we ourselves aren’t doing anything?

I don’t mean to judge harshly.  Americans are very generous people, and the friends who read this blog regularly have shown great generosity to me.  But as a society, as a whole, do we ever give sacrificially?  The boy who gave Jesus his lunch – gave up his lunch.  We have to assume he was willing to go hungry so that others might eat.  He didn’t give out of his surplus; he gave everything he had for that day, despite the suffering he would face because of it.

I think this is an area where we must follow God’s example.  God did not sit in Heaven, look down on suffering, and do nothing.  God left Heaven and joined in our suffering!  God took our suffering upon himself!  He did not take it away (why, oh why…oh, there’s that unanswerable question again…), but he jumped right in and took more than his fair share upon himself. 

When we see suffering, even if we can’t take it away, could we respond by sharing that suffering?  Could we take someone else’s pain upon ourselves, if only for a moment, a day, a meal?

That’s why I fasted yesterday.  I wanted to share in the suffering of the people who are starving in the Horn of Africa right now.  I know that it doesn’t make much sense – my skipping a couple of meals does not directly provide any relief to them or make any difference to anyone other than me.  But a constant ache of hunger is a constant reminder to pray.  And the more severe that ache, the more fervent the prayers.  And the more severe that ache, the more thankful I am for every bite of food I have available to put in my own mouth.

I am so thankful that I have never gone hungry, and I am in no danger of going hungry.  I have a kitchen that is stocked well enough to give me multiple options at every meal.  What a gift that is! 

Yesterday, I kept wondering how people survive on one meal a day.  There is the physical aspect, of course, but also the emotional aspects (grumpiness, unproductiveness, etc.).  I think the worst might be the psychological aspect of not having any hope for another meal.  My heart breaks at the thought.  I endured my hunger because I knew I could end it at any moment I chose.  The people in Africa do not have that luxury.  They are condemned to watch their children starve before their eyes.

God, why don’t you DO something? 

Bri, why don’t YOU do something?

Okay, I will.  This weekend, I am going to make a donation to World Vision to help with the hunger crisis in Africa.  I can’t give very much without causing financial problems for my own little family, but I can cut my grocery & eating out budget for the month, skip a few more lunches, and send the pre-determined savings off to someone who needs food so much more desperately than I do.  And I will pray that God will take my few meals and turn each of them into a meal for thousands.

Perhaps together, God and I CAN do something.  Will you join us?

The following is from mercyusa.org:

On July 20, 2011, the United Nations declared a famine in parts of Somalia.  …  In total, 4 million people are in crisis in Somalia, with 750,000 people at risk of death in the coming four months in the absence of adequate response. Tens of thousands of people have already died, over half of whom are children. Assuming current levels of response continue, famine is expected to spread further over the coming four months.

Malnutritional levels for children have soared.  In many regions of Somalia, 30% to 50% of the children are malnourished. The UN estimates that 29,000 children under the age of five have already died, while 640,000 Somali children are acutely malnourished and at risk of dying, unless helped immediately!

                Here is a link to donate to World Vision.

                The following is from Isaiah 58:

“Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
   only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
   and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
   a day acceptable to the LORD?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
   and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
   and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
   and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
   you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.”