I am sharing this message from Sufra Food Bank and Kitchen as it puts their amazing work into a wider context and because they deserve support.
What would Jesus do? Some 2000 years ago He spoke of love, goodwill to all and the importance of being a good Samaritan.
Today, the whole world is on the brink of an unprecedented economic
depression, the gap between rich and poor is obscenely wide, and
millions more people are unable make ends meet. Independent food banks
like Sufra never dreamed they would be so busy.
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How did this happen?
We could go back to the 1980s, when social housing and our sense of
community was first undermined by government policies. Then there was
the financial crisis of 2008, which led to years of austerity that
devastated public services and critical safety nets. (Cue Universal
Credit fiasco.)
Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, we were hit by a
pandemic of biblical proportions. Never have the consequences of decades
of injustice and inequality been so starkly revealed and painfully
borne by society – especially the BAME communities we support.
We’ve dug ourselves a hole so deep that there can be no going back to
the fantasy of pre-pandemic ‘normality’. There’s been nothing normal or
good about Sufra’s Food Bank queues over the past 7 years. No, we need a
far more radical vision for creating a truly sharing society that
upholds the Common Good. One that our food bank guests would approve
of.
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Beyond Food Aid
Food banks are not the solution to hunger. Indeed, they are a part of
the problem when people of goodwill - not governments - provide the
crucial safety net that prevents hunger and destitution in our
communities.
But for now, we have no choice but to continue.
As I write, our staff and volunteers are preparing a hearty feast for
600 people, to be freshly cooked and delivered on Christmas Day, and
we’ve been distributing surprise Christmas hampers and presents to our
food bank guests all week – alongside their food parcels.
And we’ve already transformed our work to deliver more food and other essentials to people in crisis during the pandemic. You can read more about what we did here.
We are busier than ever and we still really need your help. So please
consider volunteering over Christmas/New Year or supporting our Covid-19 Winter Appeal.
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A Community United
No matter how much food aid we distribute, it will never be enough.
That’s why we will be raising our voice to call for real change in 2021 –
and I hope you will join us.
Until then, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our
phenomenal volunteers, donors and supporters who have made what we do
possible this year – under the most challenging circumstances
imaginable.
It’s been utterly inspiring to see our community unite against the
threat of hunger and destitution and provide a lifeline to thousands of
families experiencing crisis and isolation during the pandemic.
I imagine that’s what Jesus would have done too.
The heartfelt community response that underpins our work should give us
all hope this Christmas that the creation of a more just and beautiful
world is not only necessary, but possible.
Wishing you all a safe Christmas and a much improved new year.
Rajesh and the Sufra Team.
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I don't agree with using the epitome of love, loyalty, humility and integrity
ReplyDeleteas a means of garnering volunteers for a cause that is undoubtedly good.
I hold that opinion because the book from which the life of Jesus is documented,
also tells us what the general attitude of people will be like in "The Last Days" such as people being lovers of themselves, lovers of money, having no natural affection, puffed up with pride, fierce, disloyal, betrayers, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God and having a ( false and hypocritical) form of Godly devotion (but proving false under close and proper scrutiny)
All those things (and more) characterize British society and when that is allowed to spread like a disease, it will be difficult (but not impossible)
to find people with hearts such like as Jesus described as people that respond to his message of goodwill and go onto to devote themselves to doing the work he started that is now undoubtedly corrupted beyond human comprehension.
Further to that, it is easy to see through the illusion of Christmas especially if one looks at the way that the general public respond to the man made tradition dressed up as the supposed birthday of Jesus
and the reluctance to obey the relatively simple commandment to truly love God ( not through manmade, greed motivated traditions like Christmas) but through actions such as the way we treat one another.
The universe is complex and difficult to understand after centuries of study by humans and yet it was created by an invisible being known as God
who even informs us that he counts the endless stars and even calls them by name.
Yet humans doubt him and turn instead to manmade ideas such as evolution and big bangs to explain the universe and the meaning of life.
Does that reflect true love and appreciation of God and all that he has done and promises to do for the human family in the future?
My answer is no and instead it is a true reflection of the general attitude that the Apostle Paul foretold in the Bible as a sign of the last days leading to Armageddon.
When I look around each day I don't see any evidence of people showing obedience to God and faith in Jesus but instead I see again as foretold by the Apostle Paul, brazen greed, selfishness, heart-breaking lack of true love and instead hypocritical love such as what is displayed during the latter part of December when people are urged to please the shopkeepers by spending vast amounts of money on food, alcohol and presents that no one really needs, while the debt we owe to God in terms of true obedience, genuine faith and love to him and fellow humans and his son who gave up his life for our benefit, goes unpaid year in and out and we treat God as if he is a fool and won't ever call us to account.
Truth is we are the real fools and the longer people keep playing into the hands of man by means of counterfeit so called ''Christian'' celebrations such as Christmas and even Easter
we will lose and miss out on the true purpose of Christianity that combines proper education leading to accurate knowledge of God and his will and that leads to a change in attitude towards God and the way we treat our fellow human beings.
When that is taken seriously and done properly it reduces want and problems because true love motivates people to be considerate in the way they treat each other.
This may not be the answer that readers will expect in a country in which true Christianity is obscured by one that is undoubtedly counterfeit,
but just as the true and loyal founder of Christianity represented truth amid opposition and hypocrisy, people ought to imitate him by telling the truth when it is needed and that is exactly what I'm doing.