Nourishing the Planet
Read a Smithsonian article today on some encouraging news on sustainable farming practices in Africa. Really the key to getting the picture is not just reading this post but clicking the link to Nourishing the Planet’s blog and watching a few of the short videos.
I am really intrigued by the potential of these projects that go beyond just feeding the hungry or teaching them skills. Here there seems to be sustainable development happening. The innovation is amazing too. I had heard of several projects like the school garden project which is very similar to one a friend of mine helped successfully launch in a township in South Africa. I am amazed by projects like these because we can’t just export our Western ways of farming to Africa. They need ideas that can be easily launched and maintained that provide both food and incomes for those living with extreme poverty.
When Jesus saw hungry people, he had compassion for them. When the Savior taught us to pray, He said we are to ask for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. In heaven, there is no hunger. I think we can safely say that His ultimate will is that the hungry are fed (Psalm 107:9, Psalm 146:7, Isaiah 58:6-10, Ezekiel 18:7, and Revelation 7:16 to name a few) and pray to that end as He commands us to do. His heart is toward those who hunger and He longs to satisfy them. One day there will no longer be any hunger.
And yet today an estimated 1.02 billion people in the world go to bed each night hungry. (If they have a bed.) Jesus, in this same prayer, taught us to pray for our daily bread. For me this is a prayer that I rarely need to take literally as I know where I will eat today. (Maybe I don’t know where or exactly what but I know I will eat.) I have never gone hungry unless by choice. In fact, I have the opposite problem. Though for 1 out of every 6 people in the world, they don’t know if they will eat today or if they eat if it will sustain them. For way too many, they may be provided for today but tomorrow need to ask for daily bread.
One day… one day there will be no longer any hunger. No longer will children die of malnutrition. One day people will have abundance. One day the Lord will spread out a feast for all the world and hunger will cease. One day the planet will be nourished from the Creator of all things!
Until then, may I help bring Good News to the poor of the earth and help feed the hungry in His name knowing that when I help feed (whether by giving food or teaching farming principles) to the least of these, I feed Jesus.
