 |
Offered
in Worship on Sunday,
May 18, 2003, by John
DeVries supporting
the Bread for the
World
Offering of Letters.
|
Lord,
real hunger is a meaningless concept
to us. We are lucky - we have
a plentiful supply of food.
Physical hunger is not part of our
existence, and we are grateful.
Sustained physical hunger is
intolerable. Help us to
realize that our support for Bread
For The World is rooted in the
spirit of Christ.
We must also
walk and embrace the path of the
suffering servant. We are the hands and
feet of Christ, bringing light,
bread, and hope into the darkest
places. Give us the strength
to undertake a "water
only" fast one day each week.
This would symbolize our political
alliance with the hungry, and it
would cement our emotional
connection with them. Money
saved from reduced food expenses
could go to anti-hunger relief.
Let our spirit and flesh be willing
and strong. Help us to walk in
the shoes of the hungry. Lord,
this prayer is for us - it is not
really for you - we must raise our
consciousness - because you have
already seen too many of your
children die from hunger.
Help us also understand that the curse of hunger is
aggravated by our propensity to
trust in weaponry - we human beings
spend $850 Billion on military
systems. Help us understand
that the hungry are not mere
statistics. Each malnourished,
starving person has a unique story
and a sacred soul. Help us
feel your onrushing mighty wind pulsating through our souls, so we will show the
courage, stamina, and will to
destroy this monstrous dragon of
hunger. Give us appreciation
for small steps taken, and do not
let us be overwhelmed or discouraged
by the enormity of our task.
Amen.
