Hungry People

Nick Clegg's announcement yesterday about free school meals for all at infant schools indicates that many children are hungry when they arrive at school. Their hunger makes learning difficult.

More and more people are turning to local foodbanks in order to provide meals for their hungry families. While some in Government don't seem to understand the impact of their trumpeted welfare reforms, local authorities and local communities are responding by establishing foodbanks. The Woking Foodbank will be running by the start of next year.

An important meeting takes place this evening. I am copying further details. Please attend if you can. 

An introductory event is taking place on 17th September 2013 at 7.30pm at The Lighthouse, 8-10 High Street, Woking GU21 6BG (where the intial base will be located) to explain our plans to start the service in January 2014, with volunteer recruitment and food collection starting from Sept/Oct. 

We now have a temporary website with some very basic information to provide an update www.wokingfoodbank.org.uk

The Bible tells the story of hungry people, often grumbling about their lack of food.

Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.' (Deuteronomy 8.2-3)

The wandering Israelites were allowed, so we learn here, to go hungry, in order to teach them to trust God for his provision. 

When Jesus was in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil, after 40 days of fasting, this story is the key to his own response. 'For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 

During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4.2-4)

In our food obsessed culture, we can easily believe that our happiness and well-being will depend on the food we eat. But the deeper hunger, which God alone can meet, needs to be addressed. Otherwise, we will remain hungry people, trying to fill a gaping hole with the wrong stuff. 

What steps are you taking to nourish your soul today?
Best wishes,

Richard