From the Asia region: Questions worth pondering

Prayer is risky; it commits the one who prays to follow through with corresponding action.

What does that mean for you in quite concrete terms as you pray “Give us today our daily bread”?

Problems of world hunger are so overwhelming that we are tempted to think like the disciples: “send them away” (out of sight, out of mind) or, like the rich man: “send Lazarus from beyond the grave to warn my brothers” (“God, you fix things up in a miraculous way”).

How do you cope with the knowledge that millions are starving?

How do you reconcile it with the biblical concept that God provides enough food for everyone?

The problem of the “haves” and the “have-nots” is “rooted in the socioeconomic system of which we all are a part.”

Has the world ever known a system which doesn’t victimize some and privilege others?

Is it possible for humans to come up with such a system? What would it look like? How can you effectively advocate in your context?

The conclusion to the story of the rich man and Lazarus suggests that what we need most is “Moses and the prophets,” i.e., the scriptures. Amos, the great advocate for social justice, prophesies “not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Am 8:11)

Is there a risk for some Christians that they are so concerned about the problem of world hunger that they overlook the importance of feeding on the “Bread of Life”?

From the Asia region: Questions worth pondering

Prayer is risky; it commits the one who prays to follow through with corresponding action.

Problems of world hunger are so overwhelming that we are tempted to think like the disciples: “send them away” (out of sight, out of mind) or, like the rich man: “send Lazarus from beyond the grave to warn my brothers” (“God, you fix things up in a miraculous way”).

The problem of the “haves” and the “have-nots” is “rooted in the socioeconomic system of which we all are a part.”

The conclusion to the story of the rich man and Lazarus suggests that what we need most is “Moses and the prophets,” i.e., the scriptures. Amos, the great advocate for social justice, prophesies “not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Am 8:11)

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