Feed Them
Today, I am in a quiet place. I can hear the trees moving, not the sound of traffic on 309. I
breathe and the air feels fresh, rejuvenating. There is peace here in what I affectionately call ‘God’s
country.’ Granted, there is a pastoral beauty to Pennsylvania that I have come to appreciate over the
years. We have rolling hills that people in our area affectionately call mountains. And with all the
rain this spring and summer, we are green as far as the eye can see. Driving across PA is a calming
experience, passing farms, and seeing forests rise up from the Susquehanna River.
But the Pacific Northwest is still ‘God’s country.’ Since our family lived here during my college years, I have thought that God sits on the Cascade Mountains and rests His feet on the Olympics and gazes upon all that is between with such grace that the splendor is beyond description. Yet, I will try to capture a bit of the beauty here in a few words. Imagine driving along, catching glimpses of rocky mountain peaks that stretch above the tree line, often tipped with the white of glaziers that still brave the warming climate. And then there are the evergreens as far as the eye can see. It is no surprise to see a green Pennsylvania in the summer. But when winter comes and our trees fall barren, their landscape continues to bear a vibrant green of life year-round. And then there is the water- lakes, rivers, ocean- at every turn the landscape is accented by a vivid blue. God’s Country!
Being in this paradise is a hard-won prize… a flight… a drive to a busy city ferry port… a stunning passage across the Puget Sound while gazing at Seattle’s skyline etched against the backdrop of the Cascade Mountains, and accented with a glimpse of Mt. Rainier, that alone could take your breath away… then hours through windy roads to reach the farthest northwest corner of the contiguous United States. No one comes here except to experience the wonder that God has created. It’s too remote, too challenged for the basics (i.e. Walmart and Target are scarce). And where is my favorite Chick fil A? You don’t come here for convenience; you come to get away.
Here it is quiet… isolated… peaceful… This morning, my family is out on a hike to further immerse themselves in the wonder of this place. I stayed behind to breathe… to drink in the peace for a moment… to allow the calm of this place to unravel the hurry of the last few months- from a hectic church year with the constant demands, to a Belize mission trip, and then Vacation Bible School. I have learned over the years that Lenape Valley Church does not know the meaning of down-time, or a summer pause. So, I am here, drinking in the solitude of a place far away.
All this sounds so good… Yet, this morning the quiet of this place has brought to mind a heart-breaking image of another quiet place-a room full of mothers and babies. The distress on their faces is fixed in a horrifying pose, but there is no sound. It is as if the cameraman has pressed mute because he has tired of the sound of crying babies. The blessing of our two new granddaughters has reminded me of the piercing sound of a baby’s cry as she desperately tries to communicate her distress. Those cries, though unpleasant in the moment, rouse a response to satisfy the need. But in this room, the babies are too hungry to cry. Their bodies have no more energy to express their need. They languish in the arms of mothers who themselves have nothing left to give. The silence is deafening… the look in the mothers’ eyes- hopeless.
If you have seen the news recently, you, too, have seen their faces. Every night, and on every front page, the scenes flash of starvation in Gaza, of people desperately fighting for a bag of flour, of children pushing to get a bowl of gruel. The complexity of the politics of this region defies understanding and challenges any effort to help. It seems impossible to unravel the twists of hurt, to heal the generations of broken trust and hate-filled intentions, to find even a window of peace that would allow aid to flow. Everyone points the finger of blame. Both sides want the world to hold the other accountable for the human devastation of this war. And all the while, babies cry in silence…
When did a starving child become a political debate? For Jesus, the question of human need was never about who or how. His response: Are they hungry? Feed them! I know the debates around the resolution of this war rage on, but today, children are starving. For the people who follow Jesus, should that not be our most pressing concern? I already hear your: Yes-but… I am not naïve to the complexities of this region, the realities of the black-market activities that siphon aid from those who need, and the lack of infrastructure that challenges the best of aid agencies. But none of that would stop Jesus in his tracks! He would say: Are they hungry? Feed them!
Last Tuesday, the Mission Team of Lenape Valley chose to partner with World Central Kitchen in answering that call. We sent some of your hard-earned and sacrificially-given mission money to support their work in Gaza. Against all odds, even after their food convoy was bombed and their staff killed by the IDF in Gaza, WCK continues to press on, undaunted, determined to answer the call of Jesus. Jose Andres and his team boldly go, because the people are hungry. We must feed them. This week the Bell family chose to join Lenape Valley in their partnership with World Central Kitchen matching dollar for dollar. Admittedly, our gifts are a drop in the bucket, but in the hands of WCK, blessed by Jesus, one drop may save one of those silent babies and her mother.
Today, I sit here is the silence… with a bowl of grapes at my fingertips and a bag of chips nearby when I want to enjoy a little crunch. Tonight, our family will gather to enjoy a feast of spaghetti and meatballs, with ever-so-buttery garlic bread as the guilty pleasure on the side. We will eat until we are beyond full, sharing the lively banter of a family that knows no want. This celebration of family and friends is what God desires for all His children. How could we stand idly by, shaking our heads, while babies starve? Are they hungry? Yes, Jesus. Feed them.
With you hearing the call from the One who gives us all good things,
Anita
But the Pacific Northwest is still ‘God’s country.’ Since our family lived here during my college years, I have thought that God sits on the Cascade Mountains and rests His feet on the Olympics and gazes upon all that is between with such grace that the splendor is beyond description. Yet, I will try to capture a bit of the beauty here in a few words. Imagine driving along, catching glimpses of rocky mountain peaks that stretch above the tree line, often tipped with the white of glaziers that still brave the warming climate. And then there are the evergreens as far as the eye can see. It is no surprise to see a green Pennsylvania in the summer. But when winter comes and our trees fall barren, their landscape continues to bear a vibrant green of life year-round. And then there is the water- lakes, rivers, ocean- at every turn the landscape is accented by a vivid blue. God’s Country!
Being in this paradise is a hard-won prize… a flight… a drive to a busy city ferry port… a stunning passage across the Puget Sound while gazing at Seattle’s skyline etched against the backdrop of the Cascade Mountains, and accented with a glimpse of Mt. Rainier, that alone could take your breath away… then hours through windy roads to reach the farthest northwest corner of the contiguous United States. No one comes here except to experience the wonder that God has created. It’s too remote, too challenged for the basics (i.e. Walmart and Target are scarce). And where is my favorite Chick fil A? You don’t come here for convenience; you come to get away.
Here it is quiet… isolated… peaceful… This morning, my family is out on a hike to further immerse themselves in the wonder of this place. I stayed behind to breathe… to drink in the peace for a moment… to allow the calm of this place to unravel the hurry of the last few months- from a hectic church year with the constant demands, to a Belize mission trip, and then Vacation Bible School. I have learned over the years that Lenape Valley Church does not know the meaning of down-time, or a summer pause. So, I am here, drinking in the solitude of a place far away.
All this sounds so good… Yet, this morning the quiet of this place has brought to mind a heart-breaking image of another quiet place-a room full of mothers and babies. The distress on their faces is fixed in a horrifying pose, but there is no sound. It is as if the cameraman has pressed mute because he has tired of the sound of crying babies. The blessing of our two new granddaughters has reminded me of the piercing sound of a baby’s cry as she desperately tries to communicate her distress. Those cries, though unpleasant in the moment, rouse a response to satisfy the need. But in this room, the babies are too hungry to cry. Their bodies have no more energy to express their need. They languish in the arms of mothers who themselves have nothing left to give. The silence is deafening… the look in the mothers’ eyes- hopeless.
If you have seen the news recently, you, too, have seen their faces. Every night, and on every front page, the scenes flash of starvation in Gaza, of people desperately fighting for a bag of flour, of children pushing to get a bowl of gruel. The complexity of the politics of this region defies understanding and challenges any effort to help. It seems impossible to unravel the twists of hurt, to heal the generations of broken trust and hate-filled intentions, to find even a window of peace that would allow aid to flow. Everyone points the finger of blame. Both sides want the world to hold the other accountable for the human devastation of this war. And all the while, babies cry in silence…
When did a starving child become a political debate? For Jesus, the question of human need was never about who or how. His response: Are they hungry? Feed them! I know the debates around the resolution of this war rage on, but today, children are starving. For the people who follow Jesus, should that not be our most pressing concern? I already hear your: Yes-but… I am not naïve to the complexities of this region, the realities of the black-market activities that siphon aid from those who need, and the lack of infrastructure that challenges the best of aid agencies. But none of that would stop Jesus in his tracks! He would say: Are they hungry? Feed them!
Last Tuesday, the Mission Team of Lenape Valley chose to partner with World Central Kitchen in answering that call. We sent some of your hard-earned and sacrificially-given mission money to support their work in Gaza. Against all odds, even after their food convoy was bombed and their staff killed by the IDF in Gaza, WCK continues to press on, undaunted, determined to answer the call of Jesus. Jose Andres and his team boldly go, because the people are hungry. We must feed them. This week the Bell family chose to join Lenape Valley in their partnership with World Central Kitchen matching dollar for dollar. Admittedly, our gifts are a drop in the bucket, but in the hands of WCK, blessed by Jesus, one drop may save one of those silent babies and her mother.
Today, I sit here is the silence… with a bowl of grapes at my fingertips and a bag of chips nearby when I want to enjoy a little crunch. Tonight, our family will gather to enjoy a feast of spaghetti and meatballs, with ever-so-buttery garlic bread as the guilty pleasure on the side. We will eat until we are beyond full, sharing the lively banter of a family that knows no want. This celebration of family and friends is what God desires for all His children. How could we stand idly by, shaking our heads, while babies starve? Are they hungry? Yes, Jesus. Feed them.
With you hearing the call from the One who gives us all good things,
Anita
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1 Comment
Most interesting. Full disclosure. I have been to Israel 8 times in my military career. 3 times in joint operations and training with the IDF in the Golan the Territories and around Gaza with US Marines. I know the tactics and combat policies of the IDF. To imply say or charge the IDF with “murder” of any civilian non combatant or NGO by will or intent is simply libelist boarding on antisemitism. It will not go unanswered. Any NGO knew full well and accepted the responsibility of operating in a combat zone in around and about known Hamas activities. Tragic as those events became. Israel the IDF is not starving Palestinians. It’s Hamas and its Islamic jihadist allies that are starving both their own people and Jews in their captivity. Propaganda pictures provided by Hamas health ministry does not change that Full stop period.
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nAs to the LVC. Question. Post 7 Oct 2023. Did you donate to any Jewish relief or aid organization? Did you respond to the dismemberment or rape of children as young as 18 months? And if so what? Because if that response is in the negative then any other response now is at best virtue signal. Knowing full well whatever sent will become sold or bartered on the Hamas controlled black market. Want to stop that. Pray for the IDF and the total elimination of Hamas and its genocidal ideology.
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nNow what would Jesus do in Gaza City if he walked there among them now? He would feed them of course. But not before he turned over a few tables and chased the money changers from Aiden Hezmari Street and central market square in Gaza City. God s will be done.