The problem is that some have too much and others not enough.
Who was Jesus referring to when he advised his followers to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread?” Who is the “us”?
“When we say the prayer, we often think ‘us’ refers to ourselves; after all, we are the ones praying. But I think Jesus, who had a broad view of neighbour and family, meant all of humanity,” explains Sarah Charters, Director of the United Church’s Philanthropy Unit, adding, “so I take it to mean ‘Give every one of us our daily bread.’”
God has already come through on that petition. There is enough food on the planet to feed everyone. The problem is that some have too much and others not enough.
It’s never been more urgent that we share. Food security has always been an issue, but the pandemic as well as wheat shortages resulting from the war in Ukraine have catapulted us to the brink of a massive hunger crisis.
Right now, more than 50 million people are facing starvation―almost double the number in 2019. One person is dying of hunger every 4 seconds.
In this critical time, your meaningful gifts through Mission & Service are put to work right away helping people meet immediate needs by providing emergency food hampers in times of crisis, stocking shelves at food banks, and serving good, healthy meals through various outreach agencies.
Your gifts also provide longer-term support and systemic change by teaching agricultural techniques, seeding community garden initiatives, and helping neighbourhoods set up systems to cope with the impact of conflict and climate change on their food systems.
As we teeter on the brink of a global hunger crisis, your generosity has never been more needed.
Please choose to do something meaningful this World Food Day, and make a gift through Mission & Service to help those who are most vulnerable.
Together as a United Church we can help build the world Jesus envisioned when he taught us to pray—a world where every one of us has our daily bread.