The Global Food Crisis
October 17, 2008
If yesterday’s paper was correct, we need to prepare ourselves for lifestyle changes as our economy continues its tailspin. I am no economist, but when the last three weeks of the stock market charts out like a theme park ride, my guess is that the experts making these claims are right. “Crisis” is not too strong of language. Things will have to change from our national budget to our family budget.
But what if a crisis has already hit us? What if something has already happened that requires us to alter our lifestyles? I am not referring to the financial crisis or the sub prime crisis, but the global food crisis. Over the last two years, the prices for wheat, rice, and maize have skyrocketed, hastening the effects of hunger on the poorest of poor and causing unrest in low-income and developed countries alike.
What is our reaction to such a crisis? If you will excuse a movie reference, often we respond like Peter Parker in the first Spiderman film on why he let a thief get away with another man’s money: “I missed the part where that’s my problem.” Of course, we would never articulate such a cold sentiment, but with all the other crises going on in our lives, it is easy to adopt an “I have enough to worry about” attitude.
Yet this is our problem. Sunday morning after church I was catching up with an Ethiopian brother who has been attending our church for the last 6 months, and he was explaining why he had missed church for a number of weeks. The global food crisis is deeply affecting his village back in Ethiopia, and he is working two full-time jobs to be able to send as much as he can back home. Yet even these efforts are frustrating, he shared, because what $300 could do a few years ago now requires $1,000 due to food costs.
As we stood there talking and praying for this brother, the reality of the situation finally began landing on me. Here we are, in air conditioned comfort, getting ready leave and eat a full meal, while the elderly and children of this man’s village-his friend’s parents and grandchildren-are dying one after another from hunger. Lunch was not the same for me.
This is our problem, because this is our brother and his friends are dying. As we think about what lifestyle decisions we may be forced to make due to our country’s financial crisis, let us pray about what lifestyle changes we can begin making now for the sake of the poorest of the poor whose plight is worsening.
Pastor Chris
For further research and action points, see these helpful explanations by trusted organizations:
http://www.compassion.com/sponsordonor/global-food-crisis/default.htm
http://fh.org/foodcrisis