‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
             He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
           and recovery of sight to the blind,
                to let the oppressed go free,
                     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Luke 4:18-19

Debates about intervention in Syria are raging right now.  Thankfully, it seems as if a diplomatic solution may be at hand.  While we can be cautiously optimistic about this, it is far from a perfect answer to the problem of suffering in Syria. In the midst of the argument about whether Syria should be punished with military strikes or chastened with diplomacy, one key fact is lost.  Whatever the response is, the poor will most likely lose. 

From the prophets’ sharp words against those who mistreat the needy (see Isaiah 10:1-2; Amos 8:4-6; and Ezekiel 22:23-31), to Jesus’ proclamation in Luke, the Bible witnesses to God’s particular concern for the lives and well-being of the poor and needy.  Whether we look at the law in Deuteronomy 15, the Gospel of Luke, or the commands of Christ in Matthew 25: 34-40, the Bible is also clear that Christians are likewise called to show this concern.

What does this mean practically?  It doesn’t mean that we must shout from the mountaintops that wealth is wrong and all rich people are evil.  Nor does it mean that we believe all poor people are godly.  Instead, having a special concern for the poor means that when we think about justice and consider the right thing to do as a society or country, Christians are called to ask first, “How does this affect the poor?”

ACT/Paul Jeffrey

Since the conflict in Syria began in Spring 2011, the median salary in Syria has fallen 41%.  The costs of goods like food, fuel, and electricity, meanwhile have increased exponentially. The UN’s World Food Programme reported in July 2013 that nearly 4 million Syrians are unable to secure food for themselves, a situation made worse by economic sanctions against the Syrian government.  Farmers are not able to obtain parts for machinery or export their goods.  Oil production is down almost 80%, while inflation due to a lack of foreign investment is up almost 50%.  Sanctions have also made it difficult for Syrians to obtain medicines and vaccines.

The diplomatic solution offered by Russia may ensure that chemical weapons are no longer used in the conflict.  A military strike may do the same.  But we should not be so optimistic as to believe that the status quo of economic sanctions is without its own form of suffering.  Is it really a victory if we prevent children from being “gassed to death” only to allow them to die a slower death from hunger or disease? 

As we ask the pressing questions about intervention and diplomacy, we, as a church called to serve “the least of these,” should ask a different question of ourselves: What is the “good news” we are called to reveal to the poor in Syria?  We join with other people of goodwill in debating the US’s response to the crisis, but our focus must be on what else the international community is going to do to protect the poor, who are most vulnerable in this situation.  The Lutheran World Federation is trying to do this in Jordan by managing a large refugee camp there.  The 120,000 refugees in that camp are few, given the 2 million refugees from Syria, but they are still greater in the number than the merely 2,000 Syrian refugees that the US has invited in to our country.  Does being concerned for the poor mean asking our government to increase the number of refugees it will allow in?  Perhaps.  Does caring for the vulnerable mean looking for ways to lift sanctions and control inflation in Syria?  Maybe.  Though the solution is uncertain, the challenge is clear: protecting the vulnerable must mean more than merely solving the problem of chemical weapons. How will we bring “good news to the poor” and “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” in the midst of this conflict?

To support the work of the ELCA and its companions in Syria, please visit www.elca.org/Syria.

Ryan P. Cumming is the Program Director for Hunger Education for ELCA World Hunger.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America World Hunger

Hunger Education Grant Program

Fall/Winter 2013

ELCA World Hunger is eager to support educational efforts that help reach our goals of teaching, organizing, and mobilizing Lutherans to fight hunger and poverty in our communities and around the world.  ELCA Hunger Education grants are available to support local ELCA efforts to educate and mobilize ELCA congregations, groups, and/or synods toward better action and engagement against hunger and poverty.  This particular grant program is most appropriate for ELCA congregations, synod teams, or organizations which seek to teach others about the root causes and solutions of hunger.

We are looking for 2-3 page proposals submitted by a non-profit charitable organization classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service, or operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a 501(c)(3) that must:

1. Summarize how the proposal relates to the ELCA World Hunger Education Objectives and Guidelines
2. Summarize how the project, event, or initiative will:a) Educate and mobilize ELCA congregations, groups, and/or synods; b) Influence this church body toward better action and engagement against hunger and poverty; and c) Encourage sustainable participation in the anti-hunger work of ELCA World Hunger
3.  Summarize the implementation and/or sustainability of your plan (identifying additional sources of funding if needed.)
4. List two or three specific, measurable goals by which the success of your proposal implementation will be evaluated.
5. The amount of funding you are seeking. Please include a budget for the event.
6. Demonstrate an ELCA connection with one letter of support by an ELCA pastor, bishop, or Lutheran agency/institution that explains how a relationship between the organization and ELCA World Hunger impacts/enhances each other’s work and furthers the objectives and guidelines of ELCA World Hunger.
7. Include your organization’s name, address, contact person, email, phone number, and tax ID number with your proposal.

Proposals must be received by December 31, 2013 to be considered for funding. Although the amount of funding depends on a number of factors, accepted proposals this past year have received an average of $2000.

If you have any questions please email hunger@elca.org.

This Sunday, September 8, congregations throughout the ELCA will be taking part in “God’s Work. Our Hands” Sunday, where they are encouraged to engage in a service activity in their neighborhood or surrounding community.

Which got me thinking: in ELCA World Hunger we get to hear some wonderful stories from congregations, synod teams and other groups in the ELCA who are moved by their faith to respond to alleviate hunger and poverty in their communities. These stories, communicated through blogs, newsletters, or word-of-mouth, remind us that the work of ELCA World Hunger is geographically diverse and often happens without much fanfare.

But telling these stories is also witnessing to how God is at work among us. Jonathan Trapp of Southeastern Synod’s Hunger, Poverty and Justice Task Force stated this well following the ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering in Des Moines:

If we are in an environment where people are talking about the ways they see God at work, we will begin to look around and remember that God is faithful to God’s promises and ever-present and active in the world.  But if we don’t tell our stories and proclaim the good news that is our stories, people may not see God’s work. Despair can set in and faith can be lost.

Sharing the story is witnessing to the work of God. So we want to hear from you. Whether you have plans for engaging in anti-hunger or anti-poverty efforts for this Sunday, or have  blog or ongoing efforts that you would like others to know about, like Welcome to the Table in Southwest Idaho, we want to know what’s going on out there in the world of ELCA World Hunger. We know God is doing great work through you. Let us know by emailing your stories, blogs or pictures to us at hunger@elca.org.

Henry Martinez serves as an associate for hunger education in ELCA World Hunger.