It’s pretty bottom line. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, food and shelter come first. It’s astonishing and awful that we live in an abundant world where too many don’t care that so many go unfed.
If we move farther up the pyramid do we become incapable of imagining hunger? Is that why we’re so callous? It’s hard for me to comprehend that people are just mean. But certainly people find it hard to think beyond themselves…
Someone mentioned recently that happy used to mean that you had those basic needs met. Now we hear we can’t be happy until we have x or y or z.
But right here, in River City, people are hungry. $2 a weekend to feed a hungry child. $80 for a school year. $104 for a whole year if there were summer weekend feeding programs. It’s no money at all for a weekend. And a lot of money to feed the children who are hungry.
Other people will worry about how we got here. Or at least I hope so. I hope they’ll push and push and work to change it. It’s why we have a community, because I have another job to do. I’m going to walk around and ask for money. A little money and a lot of money. Because children are hungry. I’m going to ask you to become my ally in this and maybe a sponsor. Because children are hungry. And if you don’t live where I do, I’m going to ask you to look around. Same reason, hungry children.
There are so many reasons why hungry children are a terrible idea. Again, There are others working on that. But right here, right now… hungry children. No Justice no Peace. I hear you, Bob. Hungry children are injustice of the bitterest sort. You can go here, if you want to help locally. Pretty soon you can go there if you want to set up a weekend back pack program anywhere, because we’re going to have lots of good information about how to do that, working with the Food Banks. It’s a lot of work. But it’s important and fulfilling.
There is nothing more local than the people who live where you do. We’re aware that if we don’t tend to all of Nature, the World suffers. The same thing is true with society — we need, perhaps to become Deep Societal Ecologists. If the children aren’t fed, there are all sorts of implications down the line. Break in where you can. Feed local kids, become a local Peacemaker. Living la vida local. Living your Love locally. Peace.
