Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger

Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger
by Ronald J. Sider


This topic is one that I have personally been struggling with for a while now. I know it's ok to enjoy God's blessings, but when do we start enjoying too much and not giving enough? How do you determine the balance? How can I enjoy a meal out when I know that the price it cost me for one meal could have fed a child for a month or longer? These are just some of the questions I have been asking myself.

This book explored some of those topics but more dealt with specifics of why the author believes so many hungry and poor exist, what wealthy countries should be doing about it, economic policies that need to be changed and what we as individuals should be doing to help. It read more like a text book and was actually a challenge for me to get through because of that. The beginning kept my attention, the middle was the biggest struggle and the last chapter was very practical.

For starters, we in the west are affluent. This is not news to me. Comparatively we are as rich as Bill Gates to most of the world's population. And our culture is a culture of materialism and hoarding. I just think of the tv shows and news articles that have been circulating recently about the people who hoard and how much damage it does. Most of us are not like that but nonetheless we fall prey to the enticing world around us. "You need this. You deserve this. Don't wait. You can buy it now." Commercials and advertising drive me crazy. Maybe that's my communications degree but I tend to analyze them as I watch, sometimes even going so far as to yell at the tv. "That is so not true!"

Moving on from the knowledge I already had, the author did bring up some great things I never thought about in regards to the way God would have us deal with wealth distribution as a society. He spoke of the year of Jubilee mentioned in Leviticus when land would be returned to the original owners every 50 years. It's definitely a cool thought. God knew what he was doing when he made the rules. It's a shame we don't follow them. God allowed for consequences and mistakes, but there was always grace. Everyone had a chance to make a living.

Of course he addressed the main issue I have been struggling with and that is enjoying the blessings of God. Basically it comes down to a generous spirit. We should most definitely enjoy what God has given to us and be thankful to Him for His good gifts. At the same time we need to recognize that the gifts are not God Himself. We should be willing and ready to give them all back to God should He ask us to. Also we should do what we can with what we've been given (time, talents gifts) to give what we can to aid the poor and needy.

It's not always easy to "give up" the things we deem necessary for comfortable living in order to be generous. However, God did not call us to be comfortable. He did call us to take care of widows and orphans and the poor. How can we show the world God's love if can't get past ourselves? With Jesus as our model we need to follow. He gave His time, His talents and His life to show His love. We should do the same.