Sermon for October 9 2011

Readings:

Exodus 32:1-8a; Matthew 22:1-14

This morning’s reading from the Hebrew Scriptures provides us with an ancient story from our tradition, which echoes with connections right through to the gospel and resonating with stories we might expect to find in today’s headlines. 

While the people of Israel waited at the foot of the mountain for Moses to return from communing with God, they lost patience.  While Moses was formulating ways which would enhance community living and build them into a responsible community, the people sought alternative, less demanding ways of living, with a new leader, who fed them with instant gratification.  They turned their gold into gods and they celebrated with great feasting.

Feasting – something we all like to do – and which features in both of today’s lectionary readings ... an interesting coincidence in this month of October, in which the United Nations places an emphasis on food:  next Sunday is the UN World Food Day and 17 October marks the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.  In leading up to these international days of concern about food, its use, abuse and lack thereof, this coming week is designated as the Churches' Week of Action on Food – an opportunity for Christians to act and speak out together on food justice issues.

The kin-dom of heaven is like a king who throws a wedding banquet. The invitations are out, the preparations are made, food in abundance waits for the guests – but there’s a problem; the guests won’t come.   And so, the invitations go out again – personal requests this time: look, I’ve prepared the feast, the table is set, there’s plenty of food and it’s all ready, please come.  But the invited guests, the ones chosen to enjoy this celebratory feast, have different priorities.  With more important things on their minds, they decline the invitation and pursue their own agenda.  And, even more disturbing, a significant number respond with violence; it isn’t long before the streets of the city become a killing field. That’s the parable, according to Matthew, that Jesus told.

A slight adaption:  The kin-dom of heaven is like a planet filled with every possible kind of animal and plant food, where fresh water flows with abundance, and in which humanity is invited to live, feast and celebrate.   Food in abundance is waiting for the guests.  But there’s a problem: the invited guests have their own, different priorities.

Even though there is more than enough food in this world to feed everyone, almost half the world’s population has to live each day on less than the price of a cup of coffee[1].  And if that’s too difficult to get your head around, can you even imagine how you might limit your food spend to less than $90 a week?  Some of you might well do that – but for those of us who spend more than $13 a day on food, we are the privileged 20% of this world. These are staggering figures. But I know that if I bombard you with more facts and figures, you will, like me, tune out because it’s all too overwhelming. If we’re truly honest, haven’t we already turned our hearts and minds away from what’s happening on the mountain between Moses and God – and instead, we’re already focussing on the gold we might melt down to make a god or two of our own.  Because it’s all too hard.

We don’t know what to do with the fact that people like ourselves from developed nations are consuming more than we need – that 40 percent of food produced is being wasted before it can be eaten – that two billion people in this world are severely obese and yet 700 children die every hour as a result of hunger.  We don’t know what to do with the fact that valuable food producing land is being diverted to biofuel production and that large corporates are taking over more of the food system, diverting profits from local communities and often depleting resources long term for short term gain.  We just don’t know what to do.

We may not even realise we are doing it, as we decline the invitation to the banquet of God’s kindom and pursue our own agenda – even as violence erupts around us.

It is a grim scenario, but there are people who offer convincing arguments that it can change. Organisations like Make Poverty History, the Global Poverty Project, Christian World Service and the Churches' Week of Action on Food all invite us to become aware and to encourage change.  They claim, persuasively, that collective pressure and action can make a positive change.

So, let’s dispel a few myths first:  there is enough to go round – God’s banquet is abundant.  Contrary to popular opinion, there’s plenty of food and plenty of money, if we’re willing to take the responsibility to make the right choices.  There’s enough food calories produced to feed 12 billion people – and there are less than 7 billion living in this world.  The trillions of dollars paid in 2009 to bail out banks and financial institutions would have been enough to end poverty throughout the world for fifty years! [2]  A reallocation of a tiny portion of the defence force budgets would make a substantial change to global poverty[3].

Recently, Christian World service ran a programme for youth to raise funds and develop new awareness about extreme poverty.  Young people were asked to “Live Below the Line” – at the global extreme poverty line for five days – spending only $2.25 a day on food.[4]  One of the participants reports:  “Living Below Line was a great experience. It was definitely a challenge, as it was during the last week of the first half of 2nd semester (which involved a few tests to study for!) but I’m glad I took part, and am very happy with what I’ve raised for CWS.
 I went shopping and bought: a packet of pasta, a loaf of bread, a tub of margarine, 6 eggs, can of tomatoes, can of baked beans, 2 carrots, 3 apples and a packet of cookies. While I didn’t find myself feeling too hungry, I found five days without my daily coffee and tea very difficult (I fell asleep during my 8am lecture!). Towards the end of the week the lack of variety in my meals was making me feel quite lethargic. Not having the freedom to choose what to have for lunch/decide to go out for dinner with friends really made me think of poverty not being a matter choice.”

Christian World Service[5] provides other suggestions as to how we might participate in raising awareness of these issues: from setting up a waste tracker sheet on your refrigerator, marking down how much food is thrown out and wasted each day – and, at the end of the week exploring options to reduce the waste – to involving politicians in positive moves towards the reduction of global poverty.

Some months ago, our Church Council provided its support to a suggestion that this congregation adopt partnership with the church in Myanmar as our Global Mission Project.  A commitment was made; two members of our congregation, Clare and Nicholas, will visit Myanmar in the next few months; some of us have already given generously towards their airfare.  Over the next few months, you are being invited to take an even more active role in support of this country where there is much poverty and extreme need. 

We’re being invited to participate in the feast of God’s abundance, where there is enough for everyone’s need – but, of course, not enough for our greed.  How will we respond to this invitation?  Will we take the easy way out, seeking less demanding ways of living, welcoming leaders who feed us with instant gratification, turning our gold into gods; or will we follow the way of Jesus, seeking to right the wrongs, to be generous to all and to help bring about the kin-dom of God?

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[1] Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $US2.50 a day. 80% has to live on less than $US10 per day. http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

[2] The $8.42 trillion promised by rich country governments to bailout banks would be enough to end global extreme poverty for 50 years and a massive step towards ending it forever, Oxfam said today ahead of the meeting of G20 leaders in London on Thursday. http://www.oxfam.org/pressroom/pressrelease/2009-04-01/bank-bailout-could-end-poverty

[3] Plummeting stock markets have wiped out 33% of the value of companies, $14.5 trillion. Taxpayers will be bailing out their banks and financial institutions with large amounts of money. US taxpayers alone will spend some $9.7 trillion in bailout packages and plans. The UK and other European countries have also spent some $2 trillion on rescues and bailout packages. More is expected. Much more. Such numbers, made quickly available, are enough to wipe many individual’s mortgages, or clear out third world debt many times over. Even the high military spending figures are dwarfed by the bailout plans to date. December 11, 2010 http://www.globalissues.org/issue/1/trade-economy-related-issues

[4] http://www.cws.org.nz/what-can-i-do/your-youth-group/2011-youth-fundraiser

[5] http://www.cws.org.nz/the-issues/food