Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger

Natalie has been reading this challenging book lately. It, along with my immersion into the narrative world of Luke-Acts, has challenged us to reevaluate our own lives and decisions.

Today, I read a painfully disturbing article on the current situation in Niger. The country is in desperate need of food in the midst of famine and drought. Children, like this young boy, are suffering from malnutrition.

"The situation is desperate. Even the limited food that is available has soared in price, rendering it unaffordable for most families, and there is no hope of any harvest for at least three months," said Natasha Kafoworola Quist, an Oxfam spokeswoman.

"Families are feeding their children grass and leaves from the trees to keep them alive."

How will we, as rich Christians in an age of hunger, respond to these people, these brothers and sisters with whom we share common humanity (and the gift of being created in the image of God)? In a 2001 interview with Beliefnet, U2s Bono said that our response to these crises might very well be the trial of Christianity before the courtroom of the world. He concludes,

“Now, for all its failings and its perversions over the last 2,000 years—and as much as every exponent of this faith has attempted to dodge this idea—it is unarguably the central tenet of Christianity: that everybody is equal in God's eyes. So you cannot, as a Christian, walk away from Africa. America will be judged by God if, in its plenty, it crosses the road from 23 million people suffering from HIV, the leprosy of the day.

“What's up on trial here is Christianity itself. You cannot walk away from this and call yourself a Christian and sit in power. Distance does not decide who is your brother and who is not. The church is going to have to become the conscience of the free market if it's to have any meaning in this world—and stop being its apologist.”

Bono wisely asserts that we all find ourselves in the midst of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Pray that God will help us know how best to respond to those in need around the world.