Scraps

If people are truly hungry, they should be grateful for any food they get.

I've actually heard people say this. People who probably have never been hungry. Okay, that's judgmental on my part, but I have to wonder if someone who says such a thing understands hunger, let alone Christ's teachings.

I'm reminded of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. In life, the rich man had what he needed and apparently much of what he wanted. But, if we read between the lines, he did nothing with his abundant wealth to help those in need. It's not as if he didn't have a constant reminder of that need, because a beggar named Lazarus was always at his gate. A beggar who was hungry--who would have been grateful for even what fell from the table. Scraps. And he should have been grateful for those scraps, right?

But this parable isn't really about the beggar, is it? It's about the giver--about his actions and his attitude. The Bible teaches that we are to give God our first fruits--our best. It also teaches that whatever we do to the "least of these" we do to Jesus. While giving "scraps" is better than simply ignoring the needy, I believe we truly follow Christ when we treat those in need with dignity, love, and mercy.

I'm grateful for food donations to Grace Now, really I am. The majority of what we receive is great. But I have to admit that sometimes I'm disappointed by some of the things we get. I mean, how is a hungry family supposed to find sustenance from that can of jalapenos or water chestnuts? And why do people donate food they themselves wouldn't feel comfortable serving to their families. At Grace Now, we've received rusted cans and food that has long since expired (the worst were a couple of jars of peanut butter that expired in 1989!). Scraps?

In the next post, I'll further explain the Grace Now philosophy about the food we give out and why is costs so much to keep the pantry going.