WORLD FOOD SUNDAY
Good News:
Luke 18:1-8 Common English Bible
18 Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him, asking, ‘Give me justice in this case against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused but finally said to himself, I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 but I will give this widow justice because she keeps bothering me. Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me.” 6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he be slow to help them? 8 I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Human One[a] comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?”
Reflection: “Hunger for Justice”
According to the parable in today’s reading from the gospel of Luke, persistence is one of the most important tools we have for working against injustice.
Ched Myers and Elaine Enns, two of my favourite Biblical scholars, say that this is a story about “hersistence”. They remind us that Jesus told two kinds of parables – stories about the world as it is, and stories about the world as it could be. This is a story about the world as it could be, and they go on to say: “With that tradition of storytelling background in mind, let’s be clear about this parable in its real life context. Jesus is not inventing some fable about a superhero woman who topples all patriarchal plutocrats with amazing magical powers. He’s relating a tale about persistent women he knew. This included his mother and the powerful peasant women of his people’s histories and traditions, from Sarah to Myriam and from Rahab to Bathsheba.”
This widow, this disenfranchised woman, is seeking justice and she does not give up, even though the judge has no principles and no compassion. She is successful only through her persistence. Her constant appeals annoy the judge so much that he relents only for the sake of his own comfort and peace of mind.
There is a Facebook group called Caremongering in Campbell River that is part of a wider online effort to connect people in need with people who have something to give. When you read the requests and responses every day, it’s easy to start to feel annoyed with the people who ask repeatedly for help with food or transportation. It’s easy to start to think, why can’t they get it together? Why don’t they plan their meals ahead of time so that they have everything they need? Why don’t they take the bus?
But time and time again, other folks respond. They drop off food, or drive them to the Food Bank or medical appointments. It’s a beautiful thing to see this community help each other out.
But here’s the thing: the people that respond aren’t the people who are responsible for the poor distribution of resources in our society. Many of the givers are in the same boat as the askers, asking for help one day, giving another. One fellow comes to mind who cooks himself a simple meal, then offers what he doesn’t eat to anyone who can pick it up. People offer clothes, toys, furniture and baby equipment they no longer need. These are not the unjust judges of the story.
Who are the unjust judges in our world? Probably not the legal system, although it has its flaws. More likely the giant global corporations who continue to rake in huge profits even as consumer prices soar to where basic food, housing and transportation needs are out of the reach of more and more people. Sometimes the elected officials who tend to listen more closely to corporate lobbyists than they do to their constituents and taxpayers. If you are an unjust judge, you listen to the most persistent voices and you give in, which is not the same as giving, for the sake of your own well being, for the sake of profit and power.
Jesus makes two important points with this parable:
First is the need for persistence in seeking justice. Make it so uncomfortable for the unjust judges that they respond by giving us what we need.
Second, God is not an unjust judge. God hears and responds, but persistence is important here too. Tbe introduction to the parable tells us it is a story about the “need to pray always and not to lose heart”. We cry out with persistence, from the heart, in song and in prayer, until all on earth have bread.
But we are not done when we have cried out to God. Like the widow, we must continue to cry out to those in power, those who benefit from unjust laws and unequal distribution of the food that gives everyone life. We write and send our letters, to the government, to the corporations, to our local newspapers. We sign the petitions, printed and online. We march and we chant. We cry out until all are fed.
There is a story about Mother Teresa, who travelled to New York to meet with some businessmen and raise funds for her work with the destitute in India. The businessmen had already decided not to give her the money, but they listened to her humble, passionate presentation and then told her no. Mother Theresa paused, bowed her head, and said, “let us pray.” She then made her case again, and again they told her no. Again, she bowed her head and said “Let us pray”. “Stop right there” they said, and wrote her a check for what she needed.
Mother Theresa embodied the persistence of the widow in the parable, and followed Jesus’ command to persist in prayer. Who knows why the businessmen changed their minds? Perhaps their hearts were changed by her prayers, perhaps they simply wanted to end the meeting quickly. In any case, Mother Theresa received the justice she sought.
Mother Theresa’s example encourages us to continue our work in faith and hope – faith that God’s laws are just, unlike the laws of the world. Hope that even though we are working within an imperfect system and progress seems slow or nonexistent, God is working through us towards a kingdom of justice and peace.
So we work, we pray, and we feed the hungry. We give to Mission and Service, the Canadian Foodgrains Band and other organizations that work in places of famine and need, that provide emergency relief in times of crisis and work to give people the tools to feed themselves. We feed the hungry in our own communities, through soup kitchens and food banks, cooking classes and school breakfast programs.
And we feed each other. We share our potluck lunches when we can do it safely, we make coffee and bake the cookies, we wash the dishes. And we feed each other with the bread of love, our concern and care for each other shared in our worship and our fellowship.
Today we especially thank and honour all those in this church and this community, past and present, who have worked so hard to offer food and hospitality. We thank each other and we thank Creator for all the work done by loving hands, for all the ways in which we are fed so that we can get on with the work of praying and petitioning and serving until all are fed.
“Until All Are Fed” Brian McFarland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLwmYIzkb78
Here are two faith-based organizations that can use our support in their work for global food justice:
The United Church of Canada works with Mission & Service partners to address global hunger. Partners help provide food in the midst of humanitarian crises and encourage fair and sustainable food systems. Learn more about how the United Church supports partners who address world hunger.
https://united-church.ca/community-and-faith/get-involved/generosity-through-mission-and-service