today the u.s. advanced in the world cup. today i ate mexican for lunch. today i am surrounded by books and notes trying to study. today i drove my car. today i drank coffee and tea with people (not together, but both this morning). tonight i will sleep in a bed. not everyone in our world, or even in the city of memphis, can share these same realities.
recently sociologist johnathan bloom has noted that, as americans, we throw away an average of $2000 of food per household of four every year. yes, $2000 a year, and this in a world where 25,000 children will die TODAY of preventable causes (hunger, malnutrition, diarrhea…)
the article states, “Jonathan Bloom estimates the average family of four throws out close to $2,000 worth of food annually — 25 per cent of what’s brought home from the grocery store. Bloom has investigated the cycle of food waste for several years and has found that our obsession with freshness is at the heart of the issue.” you can read the whole article here.
the real stats that will blow you away are found HERE.
it has been fashionable of late to throw around the stat that memphis was named the “hungriest city in america” but i am not seeing much movement on it, especially from the church. memphis is hungry, the world is hungry, and i am getting fatter and throwing away more food. this is not OK and it will change.
followers of Jesus are called to feed the hungry, love justice & mercy, and to serve the poor. in fact, Jesus identifies himself with the poor so much he says, “whatever you do to the least of these you do to me.” so if i live in a city and a world where i am throwing away food or consuming excessively, and not sharing, am i doing that to Jesus? by ignoring the poor am i ignoring him?
i like the warm fuzzy feeling i get when i serve someone and think about how i served Jesus. that makes me feel good. but when i am self absorbed, self focused, self satisfying, and self serving i do not like the feeling i get when i think about how my ignoring of the poor is ignoring Christ. i am too self focused to relate “to the least.”
check out this dudes anger below. i am not encouraging you to sign his stuff (i have not) but this video made me smile. i think we should be angry over this. definitely. the disparity, even with in the church, should call us to turn over tables.
Go At A Walking Pace 
Hey Mitchell, This post really hit home with me. I thought I posted my comment on Thursday but I guess it didn’t go through. After Wednesday night Bible study last week you told the story of a man who asked a paster how God could be a loving and caring God if he didn’t do anything about the injustice in the world. Then the paster in turn asked him “What do you do to end injustice”? It has been really sticking in my head and something that I have been struggling with. Recently I finished the book “Crazy Love” which left me with a desire to help the poor and get out of my comfort zone. I have become frustrated and sick of my lack of action and I am ready to start living out my theology. I agree and believe that we are to serve the poor and by doing so we are serving Jesus. There have been too many missed opportunities and hours in my day where I have not been serving the poor and in fact have been ignoring them. This needs to change and I want to get involved some where. I recall you talking about someone in the area who has a ministry with the poor. How can I get involved and help out?
Krista- I would be interested to hear more comments from the book “Crazy Love.” About serving the poor, or remembering them, I agree that our lives are not set up to give us success in that area. I have posted a couple of things in the past on the importance of having relationships with the poor, and not just swinging in to do a program. In Memphis there are a LOT of awesome opportunities to do this. You can mentor through the STREETS program or, I would suggest, get involved with Advance Memphis. Both ministries are stellar and have TONS of opportunities to serve. Thanks, Krista! mitchell