Do you share the opinion of famed Indian actor and atheist Kamal Hassan? It wouldn’t surprise me. There was a time when I thought this way, too. So stick with me as I do my imperfect best to unpack this statement and, hopefully, persuade you to rethink your position.
First of all, The U.S.-based World Food Program says this: “There is no global food shortage because we produce more than enough food to feed everyone in the world.” The problem, according to the United Nations, is:
- 14 percent of the world’s food (valued at $400 billion per year) continues to be lost after it is harvested and before it reaches retail.
- a further 17 percent of our food ends up being wasted in retail and by consumers, particularly in households. That lost and wasted food could feed 1.26 billion hungry people every year.
This is why, when I showed my pastor friend Ross Carkner the meme above, he noted “the problem is not with what God has provided us, but with the hearts of humanity. God provided food for every hungry child, but it has been kept from them by greed, indifference and selfishness. We can’t blame God for our injustice!“
In other words, all of us, including ME and YOU, have a heart problem. Said Ross: “This is hard for us because we feel like we don’t have enough … we always want more. To live more simply so others can simply live is beyond too many of us.”
Again, it’s a heart problem. That problem manifests itself in labelling so many of our selfish, indulgent wants as needs. And I’m as guilty as the next person.
Meanwhile, there are many charitable organizations that follow Jesus of Nazareth — who many people believe is the Son of God — and are committed to being the hands and feet of Jesus to people imprisoned in generational cycles of poverty. I recently retired from one of them, Samaritan’s Purse. Others include Lifewater, Compassion Canada, Salvation Army and the Mustard Seed.
As you digest this, consider your heart problem and how to fix it. Are you frustrated that so often, your efforts to improve yourself have failed? That’s often been my frustration, until I realized that I simply cannot do it on my own. I don’t have the willpower, the endurance, the strength of character.
So I trust God to improve me. Years ago, after much reading and discussion with thoughtful Jesus followers, I decided to trust my present (and future) to Jesus. I asked Him to forgive me of all the wrongs things I’ve done and all the right things I’ve failed to do.
That opened the door for Jesus to come into my heart and soul and start the life-long process of making me more like the person God created me to be. And when that journey finishes, I’ll spend eternity with my creator.
Does this sound interesting to you? Yes or no, drop a comment below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 