Feeding the Poor Beyond Christmas Is A 365 (or 366) Day Job

We live in a land of plenty and an overabundance of stuff. So why do we have so many in dire straits?

I’m not worrying so much about the latest jackets – are North Face Denali jackets still an it-item? - and overpriced boat shoes for bros who only see water at the nearby lakes and rivers, but more of what happens December 26 and beyond. Families do have to eat and be able to make it with the basics of human survival:  food, water, and shelter.

That PS4 or Xbox? Pure luxury. Ditto for the latest tech under the Christmas tree as well as what many of us are waiting for Saturday morning to rush to Best Buy if we’re not already scanning Amazon Prime for the items we did not get as gifts.

My concern – and ministry – deals with food. Obviously, Jesus told us to feed the poor and care for the sick, but in real time, how many of us actually do that? Rather, how many of us are willing to share our last so a brother or sister who is hungry can eat?

I currently have a frustration with food pantries and ministries that start out with grand visions of being able to easily feed those who have to choose between paying the electric bill and eating breakfast; in the age of obscene medical costs, there are people starving and resorting to consuming cat food. I know those little packets of Meow run roughly 78 cents and the numerous flavors of tuna in the same aisle cost no more than $1.30 apiece (How do I know? I used to work in the pets department at Wal-Mart, spending my final two years in retail over there smelling like Puppy Chow after eight backbreaking hours per night of hauling 1,500 lb. pallets nightly.) Somewhere along the way, the great idea to serve either hits a roadblock due to miscommunication or the gusto sputters after a few times of volunteerism. Then there is the red tape and the politics of service – who gets what, how much, who gets paid, operating hours, etc. – that puts a damper on what we are trying to do.

I’m not perfect in this at all – and I am guilty as charged of overlooking the destitute among us and not always being as vigilant of what the community’s needs are over my own wants as well as dropping the proverbial ball in outreach. I pray for forgiveness and for God to decrease me so He can be magnified through me. Hey, living for Armstrong alone is not what this life’s journey is all about.

Beyond the leftovers from Christmas dinner, what else can we do starting December 26?

I have a different perspective of what we can do, and there are times when it does not require some big presentation.

I won’t share my plans publicly for the Mount Zion MBC food ministry yet as the infrastructure has to be established, and as stretched out as our own budgets are at home, digging a little deeper can only give us lint balls or busted holes in our jeans pockets.

However, something can be done.

We don’t have to go and do this ginormous one-time show so we can be seen passing out food and drinks because that defeats the purpose of active Christianity, and that is the last thing we want. We choose to follow Jesus and His doctrine even in a world which it may seem like we are perpetually disrespected (sometimes it’s overwrought, and other times it is justified. Thanks, media) by those of a differing faith or atheists, yet we must stand firm in our beliefs showing we do abide by what thus saith the Lord. Doing so to be seen is called ego, plain and simple. Keep that dude in check – our egos can lead to pride, and pride leads to a downfall (Proverbs 16:18).

Taking care of the less fortunate is not particularly hard work; it is what Jesus told us to do. All it requires is a heart and desire to make a difference in the lives of other people that we may or may not know. It’s a known fact that when we are hungry, we don’t think of anything else except what we’re going to eat and when that goes into our mouths. Sometimes, we may even smell or taste stuff that we are nowhere near us just because our stomachs are touching our backs!

As we gather around the tables chock full of ham, dressing, ribs (it’s a 3414 thing – you wouldn’t understand), cakes, casseroles, pies, egg nog, and our families, friends, and neighbors, let us be mindful of those who are not as blessed as we are to consume from the smorgasbord of food and drink while we watch the Miami Heat play the New Orleans Pelicans on national television. While we have leftovers for the next several days and in some cases, throw out the food that ends up in to-go clamshell boxes and forgotten about, there is abject poverty surrounding us.

We have an overabundance of stuff. Let’s try sharing in 2016 some of the things in our own pantries and cabinets to make a greater impact within the environments we live in.

The difference between charity, which is saying, “Oh, we’re going to go help disadvantaged people,” and spiritual social justice, as I call it, where it’s so ingrained in you to do for others that you don’t look at it like you’re doing someone a favor and pat yourself on the back. You do things because they are the right thing to do. In aiding other people, you are helping to transform this world. – Kevin Powell, activist/co-founder of BK Nation/author