Translator: Elisa Lanzi Reviewer: Ellen Maloney
Have you ever been confronted
by two conflicting and shocking images on the Internet or in a magazine?
On the one hand, there is too much food,
and that adds to what are often unhealthy food choices,
with plenty of between-meal snacks.
As a result,
the number on the scale creeps up
and then there are all sorts of diets supposedly to to burn the extra calories,
diets that can be very expensive.
Eating too many calories distorts the shape of the body,
wears out the joints
and the heart,
and can lead to potentially life-threatening illnesses.
On the other hand,
not getting adequate calories ultimately leads
to the deaths of many men, women and children,
through the long and painful experience of starvation.
What can we do?
This question already preoccupied me
when I was working as a doctor in different hospitals.
Then, years later,
when I became a pastor,
I was wondering
what can be done?
Let’s take a closer look.
The numbers speak for themselves.
Each year, according to recent data,
which of course is an estimate,
approximately 36 million people die because of not enough food.
And each year,
29 million people die from the consequences of eating too much.
This situation is paradoxical.
It is scandalous.
What can we do?
What some have tried to do is reduce the amount of excess calories
by eating more reasonably
and reducing food waste.
On the other side, some have tried to bring aid to those in the greatest need,
by making donations.
What I am proposing today
is another approach, in which “excess” and “lack” are brought together
in an effort to reduce excess,
to remedy as far as possible what is lacking,
with the aim of restoring a balance in which everyone wins.
Give the gift of calories for life,
take part in the fight against hunger, and feel better.
Save lives
without having to pay a penny more than usual!
Concretely,
it involves replacing one meal per week,
preferably an evening meal,
and of giving the amount of money equal to what you would have spent on this meal
to a charity of your choice
that is acting effectively
to fight hunger and malnutrition.
The simple idea of giving up one meal,
of limiting ourselves,
can make us uncomfortable,
but it is also true
that when we give a gift to someone, we don’t feel it damages or frustrates us.
Gifts give pleasure to the person who receives them,
but also to the person who gives.
Concretely,
the night of the week that I go to bed without having eaten dinner,
on an empty stomach
which is rumbling in protest,
with my belly asking to be fed and afraid of hunger pangs,
I am actually not hungry …
I have a craving to eat, and that is something completely different.
And when I have that craving, I think differently to those who are truly hungry,
who will be hungry tomorrow and in the weeks to come,
until they die of hunger.
That calls on us to empathize.
There is a feeling of “compassion,”
of “suffering with”
with those who have been literally condemned to death.
The next days?
Well, the morning after, there is already a nice surprise:
I am not really very hungry at all.
I wake up ready for the day, body and soul.
Afterwards,
I become more aware of how I eat.
I find I am able to avoid certain habits,
such as eating a big bag of chips in one sitting,
while watching a game on TV.
Bit by bit, I get out of the trap
in which we believe that we can ease
the little annoyances, frustrations and worries of everyday life
by stuffing ourselves with excessive amounts of food.
And then I become more aware of the quality of what I eat.
My plate is filled with food that is precious.
I know that it’s not to be taken for granted, that it’s not automatic.
Since the dawn of time,
humans have put all of their energy and strength
into making sure they have enough to eat,
day after day.
The way in which we nourish ourselves,
on this planet,
says something about our community, how we live together.
Do I eat alone, all by myself?
Do I share with others?
This is a spiritual question for each of us.
For me, as a Christian, it is an urgent question.
What is the meaning,
when we recite the Lord’s Prayer,
of the words, “Give us this day our daily bread”?
It’s certainly different from saying “Give me the bread I need every day”.
There is a communal aspect
to asking that there be enough food
for every member of God’s family.
What if we were to believe that God is counting on us
to take care of each other?
Do not we risk being crushed by the extent of these needs?
For myself, I put my trust in Jesus Christ,
who can take any little bit that is given freely and joyously
and make it grow and multiply far beyond our wildest imaginings.
I’d also like to add this:
if, by giving up one meal per week,
you were able to save one person, or even a whole family,
what would keep you from starting today?
What a privilege it is to be able to do something concrete yourself,
without relying on government decisions
or slow-moving institutions.
It only depends on us
and we can start immediately.
There are people from all sorts of social situations
who take up this proposal, saying,
“It’s wonderful to be able to do something that matters,
without having to pay even a penny more
than I would otherwise”.
And there are people of all ages, young and old,
who tell me how happy they are to give this gift.
Their inner joy keeps them motivated to continue,
week after week.
That is what allows them to keep on over the long term.
They have seen
that one person’s “loss” can really be another’s gain!
Easing the suffering of those who are hungry
while simultaneously feeling better yourself,
that’s an experience worth having and sharing with others!
And so,
I’d like to invite you to
give the gift of calories to save lives!
(Applause)