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