World Hunger Fund Emphasis Day
Jesus Christ Reconciles
March 3, 2002
While in college, I had the opportunity to travel to Hungary. I was
constantly amazed at the country’s incredible architecture. The Gothic
cathedrals in Budapest were remarkable and rivaled any others in Europe.
Although I had seen photos of such buildings, I was overwhelmed by their scale
and detail.
As I walked one day with a group of fellow students to view one of the
cathedrals, a young girl approached us with an outstretched hand. She must
have recognized by our dress that we were Americans. Hungary was in the midst
of an economic transition from socialism to a free-market economy. Although
many had done well in that transition, many had not. The girl was one of those
who had not, and she was forced to the streets to beg.
In an attempt to evade the little girl, we picked up our pace. She speeded
up and continued to follow us with her hand still outstretched. We continued
to walk briskly toward the cathedral, hoping to lose her. We opened the huge
wooden door of the cathedral and escaped inside. The heavy door slammed behind
us.
I froze. I suddenly realized what had happened. We had used the church to
escape from a hungry child. I was so ashamed. It has made me ask, How many
times do we use the church as a way to flee from the pressing social needs of
our day? What would it take for us instead to use the church as a place to
address all the causes of hunger-local, global, political, economic, and
personal?
On this World Hunger Sunday, I invite all of you to ask what you and your
congregation can do to make the inside of the church the center of the effort
to end hunger. May we accept the challenge given by the prophet Isaiah, who
said, “If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the
afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like
the noonday” (58:10 NRSV).
Todd M. Elkins
appointee minister
Midlands Mission Center
