Earlier this week, Andrew Kang Bartlett from the Presbyterian Hunger Program office in Louisville put out the question to the Hunger Action Enablers: About what do you hope? Which I think is a great question because I tend to get bogged down in problems and this question gave me food for thought and reminded me of some things from the old days at AT&T.
It used to be that when I told people where I worked, they would ask me if I was an operator (this was when they still had lots of operators and before Women’s Lib really took hold). Then I would explain that I worked with computers and data bases (anything more than that was too much information). Now, when I tell people I work on hunger, they ask me if I run a feeding program and I go into my 30 second elevator speech on the Presbyterian Hunger Program and how Direct Food Relief is just one of five program areas.
All of this reminded me of a saying we had at AT&T:
When you’re up to your “neck” in alligators, it’s hard to remember that your primary goal is to drain the swamp.
I think it’s the same way with working on hunger:
When we’re up to our necks in trying to alleviate hunger, it’s hard to remember the other goal: to eliminate its causes.
(For some interesting perspective on this, read Mark Winne's "When Handouts Keep Coming, the Foodlines Never End" in the November 18, 2007 Washington Post.)
So—for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed with trying to do something about the problem of hunger—in your community, in NJ, in the USA, and around the world--it gives me hope that we are working to eliminate its causes and more and more folks are out there helping to drain the swamp.
Wishing you traveling mercies on your journey with Jesus—and watch those alligators!
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