The following is taken from the 2024 ELCA World Hunger Lent Study. The full resource can be ordered as a hardcopy or downloaded as a PDF in English or Spanish at the link here.

Week 2 — Transfiguration

•••

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Psalm 22:23-31
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38 or Mark 9:2-9

This week in Lent we continue exploring the places and moments in which we encounter God, reflecting on transfiguration as recounted in Mark 9:2-9. Here God’s manifest presence before the disciples demonstrates God’s presence in the life of creation, especially in times of injustice.

“Transfiguration” is an odd word telling an odd story. The word comes from two Latin roots — “trans,” meaning “across,” and “figura,” meaning “shape” — so it indicates a change in shape or form. Its occurrence in this week’s reading from Mark is one of the few times it appears in the Christian Scriptures.

The story is a little strange. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain. There he is revealed in all his glory, in dazzling clothes, with the spirits of Elijah and Moses beside him and God claiming him as God’s own son. Curiously, this experience of Jesus’ divine glory occurs immediately after his long speech about the suffering he will soon endure on the cross. Is it any wonder the disciples are depicted as confused?

Peter is often portrayed in the gospels as well-intentioned but foolish, a far cry from the confident leader he will become in the early church. In Mark’s story, Peter just doesn’t get it. Amid this mystical experience on a mountaintop, Peter, like some rabid suburban developer, suggests, “Hey, let’s build some houses and just stay.”

But Peter may not be quite as dense as we readers first assume. Peter is the one who reminds us that, even during a mountaintop experience, we never cease to be human. Peter is the one who says, “Jesus, I know your clothes are all shiny, and it looks like you got some ghosts with you, and yeah, I hear God talking, too, but we’re all up on top of a mountain right now, and if we’re going to spend any time here, we’re going to need some shelter.” Peter’s reaction isn’t one of fear or stupidity. It’s the reaction of a human being who can’t forget the physical realities that continually impinge on even the deepest spiritual moments.

Like Peter, we are confronted by physical realities that we cannot ignore, even as we experience a profound spiritual crisis of yearning for the day when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Like Peter on the mountain, we need to be brought into that ecstatic reality where the presence of God among us is revealed. But also like Peter, we can’t just stay in that moment, ignoring the reality of lived, physical need. We must have a different kind of faith, a faith that refuses to separate transfiguration from transformation, to ignore people around us who are assailed by injustice, disease and violence. We need a faith that captivates, motivates and activates us to respond boldly and recklessly when God invites us to be part of the transformation being enacted for all creation. In the event of transfiguration we encounter God where the physical and the spiritual intersect. New Testament scholar Dorothy Lee puts it well:

[T]he transfiguration is not an other-worldly narrative, disconnected from the body and ordinary human experience. On the contrary, it is precisely Jesus’ transfigured body that discloses the face of God and the hope of God’s future. … The transfiguration on the mountain is the meeting-place between human beings and God, between the temporal and the eternal … between everyday human life — with all its hopes and fears — and the mystery of God.[1]

Peter’s suggestion of building shelters doesn’t seem all that far[1]fetched when we recognize that Jesus never ceases to be a physical human being, even as the transfiguration discloses him as also divine. Peter isn’t missing the story. According to Lee, the story is really about him — and us.

To encounter God in transfiguration is to experience those moments when our perception is opened up radically to the presence of God in our midst. Jesus’ transfigured body births a transfigured faith — a faith that holds in tension the holy and the ordinary, the spiritual and the physical. The story of the transfiguration in Mark isn’t the story of Jesus experiencing his own divinity. Nor is it the story of some important consultation Jesus had with Moses and Elijah. We don’t even know what they said! Rather it is the story of the disciples encountering God in their own physical midst, represented by Jesus’ body and clothing, and in their own history, as represented by Moses and Elijah. It is the story of a faith that opens them to encounter God in their past, present and future, as Lee suggests.

What does this mean for us today? What does it mean to live with a transfigured faith? For over three years Church World Service (CWS), with support from ELCA World Hunger, has provided child protection services to unaccompanied children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Living in a foreign land without parents or relatives by their side, these vulnerable children are on a difficult journey, trying to reach a better future. Many of them have come to live by a simple but devastating principle: “Do not trust people.” They build walls around themselves to keep safe from those who would take advantage of them, but these walls also bring anxiety, depression and a deep skepticism of adults or agencies trying to help them.

One of the youth helped by CWS is Ahmed (name changed for privacy). Ahmed left his home in Burundi two years ago, relying on money his parents had raised for him to travel to Croatia. When CWS met him, he had been living in Bosnia and Herzegovina for almost a year. “I left with six friends, all from Burundi,” he says. “We watched hungry people every day [in Burundi], and we were among them. I am the oldest, so I am responsible for my brothers. My father is sick, so he cannot work. I need to help them.”

Along the way Ahmed faced steep challenges, including physical violence and intimidation by police at the Croatian border. “Go back where you came from!” they yelled as they pushed him. “How can I go back,” Ahmed says, “when my family’s survival depends on me going forward?”

Ahmed’s story is, tragically, not unique. Like many others, he carries the weight of his journey, his yearning for home and his frustrated hope for a future in Europe. By the time CWS staff met him, Ahmed was making his ninth attempt to enter Croatia. After providing him with whatever help they could, they watched him go, hoping that, this time, the journey would be successful.

A transfigured faith — shaped by an encounter with the God who transforms our world and our perspective — changes us. To encounter Jesus transfigured is to remember that God has entered human history, that God plays a role in the story of unaccompanied children. But encountering Jesus transfigured also means remembering the physical as well as the spiritual, to say, with Peter, “We should build some shelter here.” Ahmed’s fears and disappointment don’t vanish just because God is part of his story. Nor are Ahmed’s tired feet miraculously soothed.

To carry a transfigured faith into the world, to bear witness to our encounter with God in transfiguration, impels us radically outward to seek God in the real people and events around us. This faith is grounded in the belief that God is present with us through the Galilean carpenter — and through a Burundian child. All too often, migrants such as Ahmed are viewed as nothing more than a burden or an intrusion: “Go back where you came from!” he was told. Yet a transfigured faith reminds us that our neighbors are more than burdens or disturbances, more than even their own need; to us they are the presence of God, just as we are to one another.

Encountering God in transfiguration is more than an odd event on a mountaintop 2,000 years ago. God transfigures our faith and perception, opening us to recognize God in our neighbors and to perceive God active in our history. After Peter, James and John reach the mountaintop, there is no going back. Jesus is no ordinary teacher they are following. This is something new, something miraculously and wonderfully different. Here is the unveiling of divinity, transforming their lives and how they view the world.

As we journey together spiritually through Lent, let us do so with a transfigured faith, remembering the difficult, dangerous, physical journeys so many of our neighbors are on and remembering our call to be present with them and one another, to be changed by the presence of God within them.

Reflection Questions

How would you have reacted if you were on the mountain with Peter, James and John?

With the transfiguration of Jesus, the disciples come to see Christ’s divinity. How might this have changed their understanding of what it meant to be a disciple?

How does a transfigured faith, recognizing the ways God is present in our world and one another, change us?

How can the church confront and change people’s negative perception of neighbors such as Ahmed? What difference might this make?

Semana 2 — Transfiguración

•••

Génesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Salmo 22:23-31
Romanos 4:13-25
Marcos 8:31-38 o Marcos 9:2-9

Esta semana de la Cuaresma seguimos explorando los lugares y momentos en los que nos encontramos con Dios, y reflexionamos sobre la transfiguración tal y como se relata en Marcos 9:2-9. Aquí la presencia manifiesta de Dios ante los discípulos demuestra la presencia de Dios en la vida de la creación, especialmente en tiempos de injusticia.

“Transfiguración” es una palabra extraña que cuenta una historia extraña. La palabra proviene de dos raíces latinas: “trans”, que significa “a través”, y “figura”, que significa “forma”, por lo que indica un cambio en el aspecto o la forma. Su aparición en la lectura de Marcos de esta semana es una de las pocas veces que aparece en las escrituras cristianas.

La historia es un poco extraña. Jesús lleva a Pedro, Santiago y Juan a una montaña. Allí se revela en toda su gloria, con ropas deslumbrantes, con los espíritus de Elías y Moisés a su lado y Dios lo reclama como su propio hijo. Curiosamente, esta experiencia de la gloria divina de Jesús ocurre inmediatamente después de haber dado su largo discurso sobre el sufrimiento que pronto soportará en la cruz. ¿Es de extrañar que los discípulos sean representados como confundidos?

Con frecuencia Pedro es representado en los evangelios como bien intencionado pero tonto, muy distinto del líder seguro en el que se convertiría en la iglesia primitiva. En el relato de Marcos, Pedro simplemente no entiende. En medio de esta experiencia mística en la cima de una montaña, Pedro, como un entusiasta desarrollador suburbano, sugiere: “Oye, construyamos algunas casas y quedémonos”.

Pero es posible que Pedro no sea tan bobo como los lectores asumimos en un principio. Él es quien nos recuerda que, incluso durante una experiencia en la cima de una montaña, nunca dejamos de ser humanos. Pedro es el que dice: “Jesús, sé que tu ropa es resplandeciente, y parece que contigo hay algunos fantasmas, y sí, también oigo a Dios hablar, pero en este momento todos estamos en la cima de una montaña, y si vamos a pasar algún tiempo aquí, vamos a necesitar un albergue”. La reacción de Pedro no es de temor ni estupidez. Es la reacción de un ser humano que no puede olvidar las realidades físicas que continuamente afectan aun los momentos espirituales más profundos.

Al igual que Pedro, nos enfrentamos a realidades físicas que no podemos ignorar, incluso cuando experimentamos una profunda crisis espiritual de anhelo por el día en que Dios enjugará toda lágrima de nuestros ojos. Al igual que Pedro en la montaña, necesitamos ser llevados a esa realidad extática donde la presencia de Dios se revela entre nosotros. Pero también, al igual que Pedro, no podemos quedarnos en ese momento e ignorar la realidad de la necesidad física vivida. Debemos tener un tipo de fe diferente, una fe que se niegue a separar la transfiguración de la transformación, a ignorar a las personas que nos rodean y que son asediadas por la injusticia, la enfermedad y la violencia. Necesitamos una fe que nos cautive, motive y active para responder con valor y audacia cuando Dios nos invita a ser parte de la transformación que se está llevando a cabo por toda la creación.

En el evento de la transfiguración nos encontramos con Dios donde lo físico y lo espiritual se cruzan. La erudita del Nuevo Testamento, Dorothy Lee, expresa esto muy bien:

[L]a transfiguración no es una narrativa de otro mundo, desconectada del cuerpo y de la experiencia humana ordinaria. Al contrario, es precisamente el cuerpo transfigurado de Jesús el que revela el rostro de Dios y la esperanza del futuro de Dios. … La transfiguración en la montaña es el lugar de encuentro entre los seres humanos y Dios, entre lo temporal y lo eterno… entre la vida humana cotidiana —con todas sus esperanzas y temores— y el misterio de Dios.[1]

La sugerencia de Pedro de levantar albergues no parece tan descabellada cuando reconocemos que Jesús nunca deja de ser un ser humano físico, incluso cuando la transfiguración lo revela como también divino. No es que Pedro se pierde la historia. Según Lee, la historia es realmente sobre él —y sobre nosotros.

Encontrarse con Dios en la transfiguración es experimentar esos momentos en los que nuestra percepción se abre radicalmente a la presencia de Dios en medio de nosotros. El cuerpo transfigurado de Jesús da a luz una fe transfigurada —una fe que mantiene en tensión lo santo y lo ordinario, lo espiritual y lo físico. El relato de la transfiguración en Marcos no se trata de la historia de Jesús que experimenta su propia divinidad. Tampoco es la historia de alguna consulta importante que Jesús tuvo con Moisés y Elías. ¡Ni siquiera sabemos lo que dijeron! Más bien es la historia de los discípulos que se encuentran con Dios en el propio medio físico de ellos, representado por el cuerpo y la ropa de Jesús, y en la propia historia de ellos, representada por Moisés y Elías. Es la historia de una fe que los dispone a encontrar a Dios en su pasado, presente y futuro, según sugiere Lee.

¿Qué significa esto para nosotros hoy? ¿Qué significa vivir con una fe transfigurada?

Por más de tres años, Church World Service (CWS), con el respaldo de ELCA World Hunger, ha prestado servicios de protección de menores a niños no acompañados en Bosnia y Herzegovina. Como viven en una tierra extranjera sin padres ni familiares a su lado, estos niños vulnerables atraviesan una jornada difícil, tratando de alcanzar un futuro mejor. Muchos de ellos han llegado a vivir según un principio simple pero devastador: “No confíes en la gente”. Levantan muros a su alrededor para mantenerse a salvo de aquellos que se aprovecharían de ellos, pero estos muros también conllevan ansiedad, depresión y un profundo escepticismo hacia los adultos o las agencias que intentan ayudarlos.

Uno de los jóvenes que CWS ayudó es Ahmed (su nombre fue cambiado por motivos de privacidad). Ahmed dejó su hogar en Burundi hace dos años, y confiaba en el dinero que sus padres habían recaudado para que viajara a Croacia. Cuando el CWS lo conoció, había estado viviendo en Bosnia y Herzegovina durante casi un año. “Me fui con seis amigos, todos de Burundi”, dice. “Observábamos a la gente hambrienta todos los días [en Burundi], y estábamos entre ellos. Soy el mayor, así que soy responsable de mis hermanos. Mi padre está enfermo, así que no puede trabajar. Tengo que ayudarlos”.

A lo largo del camino, Ahmed se enfrentó a grandes desafíos, como la violencia física y la intimidación por parte de la policía en la frontera croata. “¡Vuelve de donde viniste!” le gritaron mientras lo empujaban. “¿Cómo puedo volver –dice Ahmed– cuando la supervivencia de mi familia depende de que yo siga adelante?”

Trágicamente, la historia de Ahmed no es única. Como muchos otros, lleva el peso de su jornada, su añoranza del hogar y su esperanza frustrada de un futuro en Europa. En el momento en que el personal de CWS se reunió con él, Ahmed estaba haciendo su noveno intento de entrar en Croacia. Después de brindarle toda la ayuda que pudieron, lo vieron partir, con la esperanza de que, esta vez, el viaje fuera exitoso.

Una fe transfigurada, moldeada por un encuentro con el Dios que transforma nuestro mundo y nuestra perspectiva, nos cambia. Encontrar a Jesús transfigurado es recordar que Dios ha entrado en la historia humana, que Dios desempeña un papel en la historia de los niños no acompañados. Pero encontrarse con Jesús transfigurado significa también recordar lo físico y lo espiritual para decir con Pedro: “Debemos levantar aquí un albergue”. Los temores y la decepción de Ahmed no se desvanecen solo porque Dios es parte de su historia. Tampoco se calman milagrosamente los pies cansados de Ahmed.

Llevar al mundo una fe transfigurada, dar testimonio de nuestro encuentro con Dios en la transfiguración, nos impulsa radicalmente hacia afuera a buscar a Dios en las personas y en los acontecimientos reales que nos rodean. Esta fe se basa en la creencia de que Dios está presente con nosotros a través del carpintero galileo y a través de un niño burundés. Con demasiada frecuencia, los migrantes como Ahmed son vistos como una mera carga o una intrusión: “¡Vuelve de donde viniste!” le dijeron. Sin embargo, una fe transfigurada nos recuerda que nuestro prójimo es más que cargas o perturbaciones, más que incluso su propia necesidad; para nosotros son la presencia de Dios, así como nosotros lo somos los unos para los otros.

Encontrar a Dios en la transfiguración es más que un evento extraño en la cima de una montaña hace 2,000 años. Dios transfigura nuestra fe y percepción, poniéndonos dispuestos a reconocer a Dios en nuestro prójimo y a percibir a Dios activo en nuestra historia. Después de que Pedro, Santiago y Juan llegan a la cima de la montaña, no hay marcha atrás. Jesús no es un maestro ordinario al que siguen. Esto es algo nuevo, algo milagrosa y maravillosamente diferente. Aquí está la revelación de la divinidad, transformando sus vidas y su forma de ver el mundo.

Mientras caminamos juntos espiritualmente a través de la Cuaresma, hagámoslo con una fe transfigurada, recordando las jornadas difíciles, peligrosas y físicas que atraviesan muchos de nuestros vecinos y recordando nuestra llamada a estar presentes con ellos y entre nosotros, para ser cambiados por la presencia de Dios dentro de ellos.

Preguntas de reflexión

¿Cómo hubiera reaccionado usted si hubiese estado en la montaña con Pedro, Santiago y Juan?

Con la transfiguración de Jesús, los discípulos llegan a ver la divinidad de Cristo. ¿Cómo pudo esto haber cambiado su comprensión de lo que significa ser un discípulo?

¿Cómo nos cambia una fe transfigurada, que reconoce las formas en que Dios está presente en nuestro mundo y entre nosotros?

¿Cómo puede la iglesia confrontar y cambiar la percepción negativa de la gente hacia vecinos como Ahmed? ¿Qué diferencia podría marcar esto?

[1] Dorothy Lee, Transfiguration (New York: Continuum, 2004), 2.

[1] Dorothy Lee, Transfiguration [La Transfiguración] (New York: Continuum, 2004), 2.

The following is taken from the 2024 ELCA World Hunger Lent Study. The full resource can be ordered as a hardcopy or downloaded as a PDF in English or Spanish at the link here.

Reconciliation

•••

Genesis 9:8-17

Psalm 25:1-10

1 Peter 3:18-22

Mark 1:9-15

During Advent we reflected together on what it means to encounter God. We contemplated the spaces where God is revealed to us, the invitation to be part of God’s work in history, the vocation to which the church is called today and what it means to be grasped by the proclamation of Christ’s birth. Now, during Lent, we return to this journey, exploring the many ways we encounter God as we respond to hunger, poverty and need today. In this first session we will explore the act of reconciliation, the restoration of wholeness to relationships and to people when injustice makes the fullness of life in community impossible.

Jerri Eliano de Quevedo and his wife, Sirlei Eloí, live in the Kilombo Monjolo, a community in the municipality of São Lourenço do Sul in Brazil. Like many kilombola — descendants of the 4.5 million enslaved Africans brought to Brazil between 1570 and 1857 — they support themselves and their children principally through farming a plot of land in the kilombo. The plot is small, about 2 hectares. Given the frequent droughts, inadequate infrastructure and insufficient legal or political protections, making a living in this community can be incredibly difficult. In the past Jerri and Sirlei have tried to find work in urban centers outside the kilombo, but they have no access to education, so few jobs are available to them.

For Jerri, finding a way to stay on the land while feeding his family is not just a matter of finances but also of kilombola cultural identity. “The kilombolas always had to grow their food in small spaces, all together, because they didn’t have much land,” he explains. “This, for us, is cultural, and working in another way is out of our custom.”

A cultural relationship with and ecological knowledge of the land are central to kilombola history. From Africa the kilombola brought seeds and extensive knowledge of crops, which helped some of them to develop sophisticated agroforestry and farming systems. Yet access to sufficient land has always been a challenge for kilombolas, whose communities sprang from their resistance to slavery. As Edward Shore describes in the Texas Law Review, “Wherever there was slavery, there was also resistance — which assumed many forms. One such form of resistance was the formation of communities by [people who had escaped enslavement], known in Brazil as mocambos and kilombolas, demonyms of Kimbundu (Angolan) origin that signified ‘hideouts’ and ‘encampments.’”¹ Kilombolas in Brazil are similar to maroon communities in the United States, where self-liberated enslaved people formed isolated or hidden settlements.

These communities quickly became an important and visible part of Brazilian life but remained frequent targets of vilification and violence, both during and after slavery. Kilombolas were often forcibly removed from their land, and laws were passed in the 19th century that prevented them from owning land without official government titles, something most kilombolas were unable to obtain. In the century after Brazilian slavery ended in 1888, kilombolas faced significant obstacles to legal protection, education and economic opportunities.

In 1988 a new constitution in Brazil promised to protect AfroBrazilians’ rights, especially the right to land. Shore writes, “Brazil, the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery (in 1888) became the first country to constitutionally guarantee the collective land rights of the descendants of enslaved people.”² Though there is work to be done to fully guarantee kilombola rights, kilomobolas across Brazil have joined together to grow local economies and defend their constitutional right to land. The oppression of kilombolas testifies to the need for full reconciliation, to bring full opportunity for dignity and life to a people the world actively marginalizes.

The Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Luterana no Brasil (IECLB) and its diaconal arm, the Fundação Luterana de Diaconia (FLD), have journeyed with Jerri, Sirlei and the Kilombo Monjolo in this work, in partnership with the Center for Support and Promotion of Agroecology (CAPA) in the southern region of the Rio Grande do Sul state. This work is supported in part by ELCA World Hunger. Through the project, kilombola farmers joined together in cooperatives to gain access to seeds, training and new opportunities. “The community started to change,” Jerri says. Over time, other entities, including universities, began working with the community. “We began to have support, and life got better.”

“The work of CAPA within the community is about accompaniment, partnership and joint construction, and with open dialogue, creating the farming projects and other activities,” Jerri says. The kilombola communities, which practice their own ancestral spirituality, have worked with CAPA/Lutheran Foundation of Diakonia for decades. In addition to the farming projects, the partnership has helped as the kilombola market handicrafts, share technical advice, and acquire legal documentation, housing and access to spaces for public policy advocacy.

The most important work, though, according to Jerri, has been winning recognition of the community as a kilombola. “In my
understanding,” he says, “the work of CAPA so that we were recognized as a kilombola community was fundamental, so that today we could be in spaces of discussion, commercialization and seeking our rights.”

The project has helped Jerri and Sirlei diversify their crops, access markets and increase their income. Through it all they
have been recognized for their identity, dignity and rich history. “When we came to Brazil, it was not to be merchants but to be
traded,” says Jerri. “So this has brought us a big change, bringing respect and visibility.”

Jerri and Sirlei’s story shows how historic and ongoing injustices leave families vulnerable to hunger. Hunger is not incidental or accidental. In the case of Brazilian kilombolas it is the direct result of oppression and injustice — slavery, racism, discrimination, inequity, violence. Yet their story also reveals their witness of courage, strength and resilience as we work together toward a just world where all are fed.

In the Bible readings for this first week of Lent, the author of 1 Peter reminds us of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the cost of the sacrifice and the consequences. Jesus, who was executed by an unjust occupying political power in Jerusalem, gives his life and, in doing so, makes possible our reconciliation with God. Whereas sin estranges us from God and one another, Jesus restores us to fellowship with God, so that we may be restored in fellowship to one another.

This reconciliation is more than just a good feeling, more even than the experience of forgiveness. It is a radical restoration of relationship with the One who knows us. Reconciliation has its roots in a Latin term meaning “to overcome feelings of distrust or hostility” or, in another form, “to bring together, unite in feelings, make friendly.” To be reconciled is to overcome conflict and transform a broken relationship — to be restored, often in a new way. For the writer of 1 Peter, this is the work of Christ. As the author writes of baptism, this is not merely the removal of offending “dirt from the body” but a more profound transformation of relationship.

As we are reconciled to God, God calls us to reconcile with one another. Lent invites us to think more deeply about what that means. Grace assures us that we need not worry about our relationship with God; Christ has reconciled us. But grace also impels us into the world, to be witnesses of reconciliation in every relationship. This is not easy work. It will take confronting the brokenness in relationships marred by racism, oppression, exclusion and injustice. Nor is it quick work. To be reconciled isn’t merely to apologize and be forgiven for past wrongs but to do the work of building together a new, shared world where each of us will be recognized and respected for the fullness of dignity we have from God, who created us.

Reflection Questions

What does it mean to be reconciled? Where have you experienced reconciliation through your own faith?

How can hunger ministry be seen as an expression of our reconciliation to God, the world and each other?

How does the story of kilombolas in Brazil demonstrate that reconciliation must mean more than apology and
forgiveness?

What relationships in society, the church and the world need to be transformed to end hunger?

Reconciliation

•••

Génesis 9:8-17
Salmo 25:1-10
1 Pedro 3:18-22
Marcos 1:9-15

Durante el Adviento reflexionamos juntos sobre lo que significa encontrarse con Dios. Contemplamos los espacios donde Dios se nos revela, la invitación a ser parte de la obra de Dios en la historia, la vocación a la que la iglesia está llamada hoy, y lo que significa ser aprehendidos por el anuncio del nacimiento de Cristo. Ahora, durante la Cuaresma, volvemos a esta jornada, y exploramos las muchas formas en que nos encontramos con Dios mientras damos respuesta al hambre, la pobreza y la necesidad de hoy. En esta primera sesión exploraremos el acto de reconciliación, la restauración de la integridad de las relaciones y de las personas cuando la injusticia hace imposible la plenitud de vida en la comunidad.

Jerri Eliano de Quevedo y su esposa, Sirlei Eloí, viven en el quilombo Monjolo, una comunidad del municipio de São Lourenço do Sul, en Brasil. Como muchos quilombolas —descendientes de los 4.5 millones de africanos esclavizados traídos a Brasil
entre 1570 y 1857— se mantienen a sí mismos y a sus hijos principalmente a través del cultivo de una parcela de tierra en el quilombo. La parcela es pequeña, de unas 2 hectáreas. Dadas las frecuentes sequías, una infraestructura inadecuada e insuficientes protecciones legales o políticas, puede ser sumamente difícil ganarse la vida en esta comunidad. En el pasado, Jerri y Sirlei han tratado de encontrar trabajo en centros urbanos fuera del quilombo, pero como no tienen acceso a educación, hay pocos puestos de trabajo disponibles para ellos.

Para Jerri, encontrar una manera de permanecer en la tierra mientras alimenta a su familia no es solo una cuestión de finanzas, sino también de identidad cultural quilombola. “Los quilombolas siempre tuvieron que cultivar sus alimentos en espacios pequeños, todos juntos, porque no tenían mucha tierra”, explica Jerri. “Esto es algo cultural para nosotros, y no es parte de nuestra costumbre trabajar de otra manera”.

La relación cultural con la tierra y el conocimiento ecológico de esta son elementos fundamentales en la historia de los quilombolas, quienes trajeron de África sus semillas y un amplio conocimiento de las siembras, lo que ayudó a algunos de ellos a desarrollar sofisticados sistemas agroforestales y agrícolas. Sin embargo, el acceso a tierras suficientes siempre ha sido un reto para los quilombolas, cuyas comunidades surgieron de su resistencia a la esclavitud. Como describe Edward Shore en Texas Law Review: “Dondequiera que había esclavitud, también había resistencia, la cual asumía muchas formas. Una de esas formas de resistencia fue la formación de comunidades por personas que habían escapado de la esclavitud, conocidas en Brasil como mocambos y quilombolas, demónimos de origen kimbundu (angoleño) que significaban ‘escondites’ y ‘campamentos’”¹ Los quilombolas de Brasil son similares a las comunidades cimarronas de los Estados Unidos, donde las personas esclavizadas auto liberadas formaron asentamientos aislados u ocultos

Estas comunidades se convirtieron rápidamente en una parte importante y visible de la vida brasileña, pero siguieron siendo blanco frecuente de vilipendio y violencia, durante y después de la esclavitud. Los quilombolas eran a menudo sacados de sus tierras por la fuerza, y en el siglo XIX se aprobaron leyes que les impedían poseer tierras sin títulos oficiales del gobierno, algo que la mayoría de los quilombolas no podían obtener. En el siglo posterior al fin de la esclavitud brasileña en 1888, los quilombolas se enfrentaron a importantes obstáculos para recibir protección legal, educación y oportunidades económicas.

En 1988, una nueva constitución en Brasil prometió proteger los derechos de los afrobrasileños, especialmente el derecho a la tierra. Shore escribe: “Brasil, el último país de América en abolir la esclavitud (en 1888), se convirtió en el primer país en garantizar constitucionalmente los derechos colectivos sobre la tierra de los descendientes de personas esclavizadas”.² Aunque queda trabajo por hacer para garantizar plenamente los derechos de los quilombolas, los quilombolas de todo Brasil se han unido para hacer crecer las economías locales y defender su derecho constitucional a la tierra. La opresión de los quilombolas atestigua la necesidad de una reconciliación plena, para brindar plenas oportunidades de dignidad y vida a un pueblo que el mundo margina activamente.

La Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Luterana no Brasil (IECLB) y su rama diaconal, la Fundação Luterana de Diaconia (FLD), han caminado con Jerri, Sirlei y el quilombo Monjolo en este trabajo, en colaboración con el Centro de Apoyo y Promoción de la Agroecología (CAPA) de la región sur del estado de Rio Grande do Sul. Este trabajo es respaldado en parte por ELCA World Hunger. A través del proyecto, los agricultores quilombolas se unieron en cooperativas para obtener acceso a semillas, capacitación y nuevas oportunidades. “La comunidad comenzó a cambiar”, dice Jerri. Con el tiempo, otras entidades, incluidas las universidades, comenzaron a trabajar con la comunidad. “Empezamos recibir apoyo, y la vida mejoró”.

“El trabajo de CAPA dentro de la comunidad tiene que ver con el acompañamiento, alianza y obra conjunta y, con diálogo abierto, crear los proyectos agrícolas y otras actividades”, dice Jerri. Las comunidades quilombolas, que practican su propia espiritualidad ancestral, han trabajado con CAPA/Fundación Luterana de Diakonia durante décadas. Además de los proyectos agrícolas, la alianza ha ayudado a que los quilombolas comercialicen artesanías, compartan asesoría técnica y adquieran documentación legal, vivienda y acceso a espacios para la incidencia de políticas públicas. Sin embargo, el trabajo más importante, según Jerri, ha sido ganar el reconocimiento de la comunidad como quilombola. “A mi entender”, dice él, “fue fundamental el trabajo de CAPA para que se nos reconociera como comunidad quilombola, para que hoy pudiéramos estar en espacios de discusión, comercialización y búsqueda de nuestros derechos”.

El proyecto ha ayudado a Jerri y Sirlei a diversificar sus cultivos, acceder a mercados y aumentar sus ingresos. A través de todo, han sido reconocidos por su identidad, dignidad y rica historia. “Cuando llegamos a Brasil, no fue para ser comerciantes, sino para ser comerciados”, dice Jerri. “Así que esto ha producido un gran cambio, trayendo respeto y visibilidad”.

La historia de Jerri y Sirlei muestra la forma en que las injusticias históricas y actuales dejan a las familias vulnerables al hambre. El hambre no es incidental ni accidental. En el caso de los quilombolas brasileños es el resultado directo de la opresión y la injusticia —esclavitud, racismo, discriminación, inequidad, violencia. Sin embargo, su historia también revela su testimonio de coraje, fortaleza y resiliencia mientras trabajamos juntos en pro de un mundo justo en el que todos seamos alimentados.

En las lecturas bíblicas de esta primera semana de Cuaresma, el autor de 1 Pedro nos recuerda la muerte y resurrección de Jesús, el costo del sacrificio y las consecuencias. Jesús, quien fue ejecutado por un injusto poder político ocupante en Jerusalén, da su vida y, al hacerlo, hace posible nuestra reconciliación con Dios. Mientras que el pecado nos aleja de Dios y de los demás, Jesús nos restaura a la comunión con Dios para que podamos ser restaurados en comunión los unos con los otros.

Esta reconciliación es más que un buen sentimiento, más incluso que la experiencia del perdón. Es una restauración radical de la relación con Aquel que nos conoce. La reconciliación tiene sus raíces en un término latino que significa “superar los sentimientos de desconfianza u hostilidad” o, en otra forma, “reunir, unirse en sentimientos, hacerse amigable”. Reconciliarse es superar el conflicto y transformar una relación rota —ser restaurado, a menudo de una manera nueva. Para el escritor de 1 Pedro, esta es la obra de Cristo. Como escribe el autor sobre el bautismo, esto no es simplemente la eliminación de la ofensiva “suciedad del cuerpo”, sino una transformación más profunda de la relación.

A medida que nos reconciliamos con Dios, Dios nos llama a reconciliarnos unos con otros. La Cuaresma nos invita a pensar más profundamente sobre lo que eso significa. La gracia nos asegura que no tenemos que preocuparnos por nuestra relación con Dios; Cristo nos ha reconciliado. Pero la gracia también nos impulsa a entrar en el mundo, a ser testimonio de reconciliación en cada relación.

Este no es un trabajo fácil. Será necesario hacer frente a la ruptura de las relaciones empañadas por el racismo, la opresión, la exclusión y la injusticia. Tampoco es un trabajo rápido. Reconciliarse no es simplemente disculparse y ser perdonado por los errores del pasado, sino hacer el trabajo de construir juntos un mundo nuevo y compartido donde cada uno de nosotros sea reconocido y respetado por la plenitud de dignidad que tenemos de Dios, quien nos creó.

Preguntas de Reflexión

¿Qué significa ser reconciliados? ¿Dónde ha experimentado reconciliación a través de su propia fe?

¿Cómo puede verse el ministerio del hambre como una expresión de nuestra reconciliación con Dios, con el mundo y con los demás?

¿Cómo demuestra la historia de los quilombolas en Brasil que la reconciliación debe significar más que disculpas y perdón?

¿Qué relaciones en la sociedad, la iglesia y el mundo necesitan ser transformadas para acabar con el hambre?

¹ Edward Shore, “A Dream Deferred: The Emergence and Fitful Enforcement of
the Quilombo Law in Brazil” [Un sueño aplazado: el surgimiento y la aplicación
irregular de la Ley del Quilombo en Brasil] Texas Law Review 101:3, notas 24-25,
texaslawreview.org/a-dream-deferred-the-emergence-and-fitful-enforcement-ofthe-quilombo-law-in-brazil/

² Ibid, note 18.

Join us Tuesday Feb 27th at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 CT/6:00 MT/5:00 PT/4:00AK for film highlights & discussion with the filmmaker, John Feldman. You can view the trailer here.

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem (ELCA)

For many U.S. residents reading this blog post, our ability to think soundly about the Israel-Hamas conflict has been consistently interrupted by waves of conflicting images and emotions: stories of trauma and grief from Israelis impacted by the Hamas attacks on their homes, followed almost immediately by accounts from Gaza of deaths; both moments of horror followed quickly by a outrage and ambivalence gestated over decades by a binary debate over U.S. involvement in the conflict. We can certainly feel tired to act when we pile onto these emotions the ways social media and cable news saturate our lives with every world event.

When, on the edge of exhaustion, it can be difficult to consider a Christian response, but Bishop Eaton has laid down a challenge to Lutherans: “God has called us to be a people who stand with others amid suffering.” From the Hunger Education desk, this notion boils down to two key words: scarcity and abundance. Indeed, confronted with death around the world we often turn to comfort in distractions. This is scarcity, the limitation of our own opportunity to seek justice for the other. But to see and read about 2 million people imprisoned and besieged in a warzone, while we as Western Christians have the ability to turn away? This is indeed a sign that we have the resources to participate in full, abundant life with and for our neighbors.

Both concepts have found voice for me in John 4:1-26, a moment in our Christian story when political divisions over who belongs momentarily paralyze recognition of basic human needs for sustenance and care. Both the current political discourse in the U.S. and the historical conflict between ancient Jews and Samaritans, start from an understanding that the neighbor should be mistrusted. And a mistrustful stance toward others means accepting that they don’t deserve our resources, that our abundance is, in fact, scarcity. But here, in John’s Gospel and in Gaza, we find an opportunity to view the need of the other as precisely the moment to act in accordance with our abundant life.

Mistrust, Scarcity, and Abundance in John 4:1-26

John 4:1-26’s relation here is not incidental: while on a much smaller in scale to the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza, Jesus has a need for water—he had been traveling a long way and was thirsty (vv. 1-4). He asks a Samaritan woman approaching the well to draw water and she immediately draws the political battleline with a mistrustful interrogation: “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria”; and the narrator puts the difference in bold, with, “Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans” (v. 9). Jesus is in need here and this woman has what he needs. Political differences allow her to defer or even avoid sharing the resources of her home in a moment of scarcity. Helpfully, though, this narrative opens with Jesus exposing his own vulnerability and need, and the woman eventually showing hers, making space for a gift of life-giving water, water that will end all thirst (v. 10-15).

Without a moment of vulnerability and tension, one that allows for the painful past and power politics to be exposed, we can lose sight of the real issue: abundant water. To this end, Bishop Eaton’s challenge to Lutherans to hold “tension between two truths” highlights the actual need for those of us with the privilege of resources, voice, and time: “God has called us to be a people who stand with others amid suffering.” The Samaritan woman faces a choice, as someone in need is before her face, at her very well—her home—in need of merely a drink. She can reinforce the scarcity illusion or she can stand in solidarity with another created person who needs sustenance as much as she does.

Partisan back-and-forth, “both sides are to blame” narratives, and public vitriol benefit people in power, because these things require little material resources of us as citizens: we can protect our common good(s) while blaming the other. Complaint and blame demand little of us, as Christians, while advocacy and activism require use of our resources and focus. Retreating to traditional lines of difference and tired tropes can feel easy, like reciting a script, but doing so also prevents those with privilege from seeing and treating the needs of the marginalized, the thirsty, and the hungry.

In moments of tension and discomfort, as John’s Gospel shows, we find opportunities for justice where those truly in need are seen, where myths of scarcity are banished in favor of abundance.

Abundance, Imagination, and Faith

In times and places like Israel and Palestine at this moment, belonging and hope can feel scarce. Israeli families killed in the private and public comforts of their daily lives or meant to feel fear in the very places they find routine; Palestinians killed from miles away, already imprisoned in a patch of land, under occupation, and invisible to those of us who fund Israeli bombs leveling their neighborhoods. Like many of us, I have come to understand home as something more complicated than the walls of a building—it has something more to do with the relationships, memories, and meaning that form around a particular place.

As Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, president of Dar al-Kalima University of Arts and Culture in Bethlehem, reminds us, to call a place like Palestine home is fraught with mourning in this “battlefield for competing empires.”[1] That is, the bombs dropped on Gaza neighborhoods is both nothing new and the result of millennia of colonial ambitions in this area. Certainly, for those of us who live in relative peace and privilege, unconscious of the violence meted out by nation-states—even our own, funding decades of war in the Middle East—Rev. Dr. Raheb’s call might seem, at first, fatalistic and a call to give into scarcity.

Instead, Rev. Dr. Raheb calls back to the faithful imagination necessary to break out of the U.S.’s current stance of “managing conflict” in Israel and Palestine through Israeli military aid,[2] to the imagination called for by faith “to have life and have it abundantly.”[3] The current stance that prizes national security over the abundant life demanded by Palestinians under occupation is the same one that makes it acceptable to cut of 2 million Gazans from food, water, and energy—while killing thousands of people in Gaza. Scarcity means rocket attacks, terrorist killings, airstrikes, ground invasions, and imprisonment.

The Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives. Photo: Albin Hillert/Life on Earth

“Security” and its accompanying violence are parts of a scarcity value system, while belonging, memory, love, and care can exist only with abundant, imaginative, faithful life. There is always room for home. Ancestors “can worship on this mountain” and “in Jerusalem” (John 4:19). We can give water from a well and “water from a spring gushing up to eternal life” (4:14). When world leaders tell us, “Security first!” our Christian response must always start with life, and life abundantly.

And I hope you and your community can respond to the crisis emerging in Israel and Gaza with abundance—whatever that looks like. Here are some places to start:

The ELCA is curating opportunities to act with your abundance here. On this page, among other things, you can…

• Support Lutheran Disaster Response’ work on the ground with your financial gifts
• Join with other ELCA members and write to your representatives in Washington (head to this link), urging:
  • A cease-fire, de-escalation and restraint from all parties
  • That all parties to abide by the laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions, customary international law and international human rights law
  • Steps to secure immediate release of hostages and international protection for civilians.

Learning. We have numerous opportunities and a strong network of partners available to support your congregation’s reflection, discussion, and growth.

• Check out resources from the ELCA’s Peace not Walls network and begin the discussion about human rights and dignity in Palestine and Israel.
• Explore the work of our partner church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).
• Start a conversation with your congregation about adopting an abundance stance toward the economy and hunger with ELCA World Hunger’s “Hungering for Justice” study guide on Luther and the economy.
• Check out Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb’s book, Faith in the Face of Empire (the text I referenced above). It’s well-suited for congregational reading groups. Despite being written in 2014, reflecting on the Arab Spring, the book provides a prescient voice out of Palestine in this

Dr. Peter N. McLellan is the Program Director, Hunger Education with the ELCA’s Building Resilient Communities team.

[1] Mitri Raheb, Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible through Palestinian Eyes (New York: Orbis, 2014), 5.

[2] Raheb, Faith, 125. The 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly resolved that all military aid to Israel must be conditioned on the observance of human rights (CA16.05.15).

[3] Raheb, Faith, 129.

For fifty years, we have stood together as Lutherans, taking action to address root causes of hunger and poverty around the world through ELCA World Hunger, grounded in God’s promise of a time when we will hunger and thirst no more. As part of the long tradition of the church meeting human needs, ELCA World Hunger is a testament to our hope and our commitment for this church to be part of God’s transformation of the world.

Today, we invite you to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ELCA World Hunger at the 2024 ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering. The Mary and Howie Wennes Hunger Leadership Endowment supports the gathering, established by the Wennes Family in 2016.

This signature event gathers ELCA World Hunger’s leaders for a time of networking, idea sharing, learning, and planning for our shared ministry to address hunger and its root causes in our local and global communities. Next year’s event, February 1-4, 2024, will center on 1 Peter 4:10 and the theme Embracing Hope – Taking Action – Moving Forward! We celebrate 50th years of God’s faithfulness!

Who is invited?

· Each synod is invited to bring up to three participants to the event.

· To reflect the diversity of our church, synods bringing three participants must ensure that at least one participant is a youth, young adult or person of color. A discounted registration rate will apply for the third representative.

· Former Hunger Advocacy Fellows.

· Big Dream Ministry Partners.

· Invited ELCA World Hunger ministry partners.

What is the cost?

All registrations include airfare, all event costs, and room and board for four days, three nights. Rates below are for synod representatives. Ministry partners, Big Dream ministry partners and former Hunger Advocacy Fellows will receive information about their rates in separate email invitations.

Registration is NOW OPEN at this link.

Questions? Contact us at hunger@elca.org

Knowing the numbers for hunger and poverty can go a long way to helping us talk about the issues accurately and craft effective, forward-looking responses. For those who share with their congregation information about hunger and poverty, these numbers can also be helpful in putting together presentations or workshops.

There are several sources for data that are particularly reliable and useful[1]:

• The World Bank’s poverty report;
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) annual “State of Food Security” report;
• The US Census Bureau’s annual reports on poverty and income; and
• The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) annual “Food Security in the US” report.

We are still waiting for the release of the USDA’s report, hopefully within the next week, but already, the data are showing some troubling trends and some surprising shifts in understanding hunger and poverty.

Rather than litter this post with a ton of footnotes, the sources are summarized below.

Information and infographics about global hunger and food security come from:

FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. 2023. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023.

Urbanization, agrifood systems transformation and healthy diets across the rural–urban continuum. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc3017en

Information and infographics about incomes in the United States come from:

Gloria Guzman and Melissa Kollar, U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P60-279, Income in the United States: 2022, U.S. Government Publishing Office, Washington, DC, September 2023.

Information and infographics about poverty in the United States come from:

Emily A. Shrider and John Creamer, U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P60-280, Poverty in the United States: 2022, U.S. Government Publishing Office, Washington, DC, September 2023.

Global Hunger

The first troubling trend in the data is that the spike in hunger we have seen in recent years has not eased. Hunger is still “far above pre-pandemic levels” (FAO, 2023, viii). In 2022, between 690 and 783 million people were hungry. If we look at the middle of this range – 735 million – we find about 122 million more people hungry in 2022 than in 2019 (613 million.) The prevalence of undernourishment, which is the measure the FAO uses to determine the rate of hunger, has increased from 7.9% in 2019 to 9.2% in 2022 – nearly 1 in 11 people around the world.

Prevalence and number of undernourished people globally, 2023 (FAO)

Fortunately, that’s come down a bit from 2021. There were about 3.8 million fewer people facing hunger in 2022 compared to 2021, but the number remains remarkably high. The rate of hunger in 2022 was a slight decrease from 9.3% in 2021, but still the highest rate since 2005. In some areas, especially Africa, Western Asia and the Caribbean, hunger continues to rise, in part because of reliance on more expensive exports.

We see even more concerning news if we turn to another measure the FAO reports, namely food security. While the prevalence of undernourishment measures long-term, chronic signs of hunger, the FAO also reports on food security, which is a shorter-term measure of people’s access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food year-round.[2] In 2022, 2.4 billion people were food-insecure, an increase of 391 million people since 2019, relatively unchanged from 2021. This means nearly 30% of people around the world cannot reliably access the food they need.

What is keeping hunger and food insecurity so high?

For starters, one critical factor is the war in Ukraine. The FAO estimates that, without the war, 23 million people would not have faced hunger in 2022. Another factor is rising costs. Food is more expensive, fuel is more expensive and incomes haven’t risen to match the jump in prices. Many countries at risk of hunger are dependent on exports. The “world food import bill,” which measures how much is spent globally on the import of food and food products, reached nearly US$2 trillion in 2022, the highest on record and an increase of 10% from 2021. This puts enormous pressures on importing countries and translates into much steeper prices for consumers. The cost for imports of agricultural inputs, such as fertilizer (a huge export of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus), was even more staggering – $424 billion in 2022, an increase of 48% from 2021. Put together, it’s more expensive to bring food in and significantly more expensive to produce food in-country.

One of the trends impacting hunger and the cost of food is urbanization. More and more people globally are moving into large cities or closer to cities. By 2050, nearly 7 in 10 people worldwide are expected to live in cities. The result of this shift, according to the FAO, is that the old framework of a rural-urban divide simply doesn’t match the world as it is. In general, as people move toward cities, their economic prospects grow, and their risk of hunger and poverty decreases (slightly.) The problem we are seeing now, though, is rapid urbanization without economic growth. While we used to think of hunger as primarily a rural issue globally, the data point us toward understanding the need to attend to a continuum of rural-to-urban, including people who live in the in-between spaces between cities and rural areas.

As people move into cities, their diets change, and this presents a challenge to traditional thinking about hunger. For years, the truism has been that the world produces enough food to meet everyone’s needs. That might not be the case going forward. Between diets changing and more people moving away from food production in rural areas, the FAO finds that “the availability of vegetables and fruits, in particular, is insufficient to meet the daily dietary requirements in almost every region of the world” (FAO, 2023, xxii; 62). The reality seems to be that the world doesn’t produce enough food for everyone in every region to enjoy a healthy diet. Hunger isn’t just a problem of access but of production that meets changing needs – and changing understandings of nutrition and health.

The availability of food groups to meet a healthy diet (FAO)

Another surprising finding is that, in most of the countries the FAO analyzed, the majority of food consumed in rural households is purchased, not produced. This, too, challenges the traditional picture of rural subsistence farmers relying solely on food they grow or produce and makes the relationship between access and production more complex. The reality is that, in rural areas, the share of food that is produced by a household represents only about 33-37% of the food they consume, according to the FAO. The rest is purchased from grocery stores, street vendors or other suppliers.

There are a couple of consequences here. First, the growth in food purchases also means, in many cases, increased consumption of highly-processed foods, which can have lower nutritional value. This may mean that improving food security and nutrition will require new regulations to incentivize healthy eating and prevent exposure to unsafe foods, especially convenience foods purchased from street vendors. Second, focusing on increasing yields and production among rural farmers is important but may need to be combined with other efforts. It may also be important to focus on ways to generate income and to connect people to markets, particularly through improved infrastructure, such as navigable roads. That said, there still needs to be a focus on increasing farming production, especially of fruits and vegetables but also of staple grains, to meet the growing needs of an urbanizing population and to build resilience to shocks to export markets, as we’re seeing with the war in Ukraine.

The long-and-short of it is that the data suggest that the world may face a problem of not producing enough food to meet the changing diets of the world, and rural subsistence, as we tend to envision it, doesn’t completely reflect people’s actual dietary lives. These are huge shifts in our understanding.

Poverty and Income in the United States

As mentioned above, we are still waiting for new data on food security, but we do have information on income and poverty, courtesy of the US Census Bureau.

In 2022, the official poverty rate in the US was 11.5%, representing about 37.9 million people living in poverty. The good news is this wasn’t significantly different from 2021; the bad news is that this rate is far too high and still slightly higher than in 2019, before the pandemic.

Number of people in poverty and poverty rate over time in the US (US Census Bureau)

One thing to note in the data is geographic differences in poverty. While people living in every type of setting – city, suburb, rural– face vulnerability to poverty, the highest rate of poverty in the US is found “outside metropolitan statistical areas” or, in other words, rural areas. Fifteen percent of people living in rural areas in 2022 experienced poverty, compared to 11.0% living in urban centers (“metropolitan statistical areas.”) In principal cities themselves, poverty remained above 14% for 2022. So, the picture of poverty in the US as being primarily urban is not quite borne out by research; rural areas actually experience poverty at a slightly higher rate.

In addition to the official poverty measure, the US Census Bureau also calculates a Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM.) You can read more about the differences here, but one of the interesting things the SPM lets us see is how certain safety net programs and benefits help alleviate poverty. It also allows us to estimate how much certain costs contribute to poverty. Moreover, it determines the threshold of income that is “in poverty” a bit differently.

One important caveat before getting into the numbers: the numbers below are from the Supplemental Poverty Measure, not the official poverty measure. While they are illuminating and help us to analyze poverty more deeply, they should not be used as a replacement for the official poverty measure.

Here is where the news gets a bit frustrating, to be honest. We knew when the Child Tax Credit was expanded that we would see a rapid reduction in child poverty, and we did. Of course, that expansion and COVID-19 stipends expired in 2022, so the rate of child poverty in the US went up, as we knew it would. In fact, between 2021 and 2022, according to the SPM, child poverty more than doubled, from 5.4% in 2021 to 12.4% in 2022. At the same time, the official poverty rate for children stayed relatively stable, showing the deep impact the Child Tax Credit expansion had on child poverty. Perhaps even more worrisome is that the share of children in households with income of less than half of the poverty line also doubled, showing an increase of more than 100% for children living in what is considered deep poverty. Increases in deep poverty were true across the board for all age groups. The share of the population with resources below 50 percent of the SPM poverty threshold increased for every age group in the US. What this may point to is the way in which tax credits and stimulus payments had had a particularly significant impact on people living in deep poverty. What it also suggests is that ending poverty for households, even households in deep poverty, is not impossible; progress just takes bold but doable policy choices.

Child poverty – supplemental poverty measure vs. official poverty measure, US (US Census Bureau)

From the SPM, we can also get an idea of how effective certain public programs were in keeping people out of poverty in 2022. As the graph below indicates, for example, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly food stamps) and the National School Lunch Program lifted 5.1 million people out of poverty, while out-of-pocket medical expenses moved 7.1 million people into poverty, which means that, after medical expenses are subtracted from their resources, more than 7 million people had household resources below the poverty line.

Supplemental poverty measure – the impact of various sources of income or costs (US Census Bureau)

In terms of income, real median household income in the US decreased 2.3% between 2021 and 2022, from an estimated $76,330 per household to $74,580. More people were working full-time, year-round, but real median earnings of workers (including both part-time and full-time) decreased 2.2%. For just full-time, year-round workers, the drop in earnings was 1.3% from 2021 to 2022. So, the next time someone complains about how workers “these days” earn so much, you can gently and gracefully remind them that earnings are lower now than they were last year when accounting for inflation– at the same time (and partially because) goods cost so much more.

Credit: US Census Bureau, 2023

Moreover, the next time someone says, “People just don’t want to work anymore,” it might be helpful to point out that the number of full-time, year-round workers increased 3.4% between 2021 and 2022, compared to an overall increase in workers of 1.7%, which, according to the US Census Bureau, suggests that what we are actually seeing is a shift from part-time work to full-time, year-round work. The percentage of people 16 years and older who were in the labor force in 2022 was 63.5% – not much different from the 63.6% 5-year average from 2017-2021.

In terms of racial disparities in real median income, White and non-Hispanic White households experienced a decrease of 3.5% and 3.6%, respectively, while the change in income for other racial groups was not statistically different from 2021. This change may be because of long-term income disparities. White and non-Hispanic White workers tend to be paid disproportionately higher incomes than other racial groups, sometimes as much as 25-100% higher, and still, despite the modest decrease, get paid real median incomes of $108,700 per year per household, the highest among racial groups. Further analysis shows that the losses in real median income nationwide largely occurred in middle and high income brackets, so this makes some sense.

This drop in middle and high incomes means that income inequality was lower in 2022 than in 2021. In fact, the US Census Bureau reports that 2022 represented the first drop in the Gini coefficient – a common measure of income inequality – since 2007. There is some good news there, though, if we look at other measurements, such as the mean logarithmic deviation of income, which is a bit more sensitive to changes at the lower end of the income spectrum, we still see income inequality at the highest rate it has been since 1967, with the exception of 2021, of course.

What this means is that, yes, income inequality decreased because of drops in income at the middle- and high-income levels. But when the lowest 20% of income earners draw in only 3% of the total income of the country, and the highest 20% get more than 52% of the total income, can we really say that we are making headway on inequality? Probably not. There’s more work to be done.

Where to go from here?

“More work to be done” is a good way to sum up what we can learn from the data. Certainly, we are nowhere near the worst of projections from the early months of the pandemic. But we are also a far cry from the Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2050.

We know, though, that things do not have to be this way. We have come a long way from where we were as a country and a world in 1974, when the Lutheran hunger appeals that became ELCA World Hunger began. As we look ahead to the 50^th anniversary of this ministry next year, we do so with hope and faith. Hunger and poverty are not givens. What the last few years’ worth of data demonstrate isn’t the intractability of hunger but the risk our world runs when we collectively ease up on progress toward ending hunger and poverty.

Working together, learning from one another, listening to each other, advocating together and creating spaces for communities to build trust and address the injustices that create vulnerability will all be important steps along the way.

[1] What makes data “reliable and useful”? One of the first things to consider is whether the sources of data describe their methods, including limitations of the data. This can help point to whether the data are reliable or not. Another factor to consider is consistency. The agencies named in the list use the same methods year after year, so data can be compared over time, and they report any changes to methods that might impact comparability.

[2] In the past few years, there has been more attention to “food crises” around the world and reports that use a measurement referred to as IPC/CH to determine risk of famine. The FAO has a great explanation of how food crisis measurements compare to undernourishment and food security measurements in the 2023 “State of Food Security” report. See Box 1, page 12 of the report.

The article below was originally published on the “Our Synod Stories” webpage of the Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA. It is re-posted with permission from – and gratitude for – the synod and the author, Pastor Devlyn Brooks, a member of the synod’s storytelling team.

Since its charter as a Lutheran church in 1960, Calvary Lutheran Church in Perham, Minn., has always had a heart for supporting missions outside their church walls, says Associate Pastor Eric Clapp.

So, it wasn’t a surprise when the Northwestern Minnesota Synod bishop’s staff announced at this year’s synod assembly that Calvary had again won the synod’s cherished “Holy Cow Award” for a second consecutive year and a third time overall. But, according to Pastor Clapp, while the congregation’s reaction was that it was generally “cool” to win the award again, that is not the church’s motivation when it comes to its culture of giving.

“Calvary has always had a strong spirit for mission support to the synod; the congregation is proactive in giving,” Clapp said. “You give no matter what, even when things look bad. And when things are good, then even more.”

In its 11-year history in our synod, only four churches have claimed the award, with Calvary’s three wins second only to  Little Norway Lutheran Church’s (Fertile, Minn.) five titles. Calvary Lutheran Church in Little Sauk has won twice, and Immanuel Lutheran in Wadena once.

First dreamt up by a hunger justice committee in the Northeast Minnesota Synod nearly 20 years ago, the “Holy Cow Award” has since been adopted by the Northwestern Minnesota and South Dakota synods as well.

The beauty of the “Holy Cow Award,” Clapp said, is that any church in the synod has a chance to win because the award is based on a formula that includes a church’s giving to the ELCA World Hunger per member, in addition to its mission support directly to the synod in a given fiscal year. So, the award is annually within every church’s reach, big or small. Calvary Lutheran worships about 200-230 per week in the summer and 250-300 the rest of the year.

This past fiscal year, Calvary found itself with an operating overage, and its leaders asked the congregation where they would like to invest the funds. The decision was to split it equally into four mission areas, meaning that they donated $12,500 to ELCA World Hunger.

“We didn’t necessarily set out to win it; we just keep doing what we’re doing,” Clapp said. “The intent is to give and to share. This is who we are; this is what we’ve always done.”

Clapp said jokingly that there hasn’t been talk about a Calvary three-peat yet, but now given the idea, it just may provide some motivation for the church’s giving team!

In July 2023, four leaders from across the United States joined ELCA World Hunger and the Lutheran Office for World Community in New York City as delegates of the Lutheran World Federation at the 2023 United Nations High-Level Political Forum. The forum was an opportunity for UN member states, agencies and organizations to share updates on progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. As our delegation learned, progress against the goals has been slow and, in some cases, has reversed. The delegation, representing the 149 member churches of the Lutheran World Federation, including the ELCA, was able to hear from leaders around the world, meet other advocates, connect with staff from the ELCA’s advocacy office in Washington, DC, listen to stories of changes and challenges, and consider together how each of us can be part of the work toward the Sustainable Development Goals in our communities.

Below is a reflection from Willie F. Korboi. Willie is Regional Representative of the African Descent Lutheran Association (ADLA), Media and Publicity Chairperson of the Association of Liberian Lutherans in the Americas (ALLIA), and Digital Evangelical Minister at Peoples’ Community Evangelical Lutheran Church, Baltimore. You can read other reflections from participants in this event here and here.

The author by quote in UN building: “One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.”

Representing the Lutheran World Federation and the ELCA World Hunger program at the 2023 UN High-Level Political Forum (UN HLPF) was a remarkable experience. The UN HLPF allowed me to witness the extensive efforts undertaken by governments, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was interesting to note the repeated emphasis on “collective action” among the conversations and the recognition of the importance of collective action in realizing the SDGs.

This annual global event also afforded me the opportunity for networking, learning and knowledge-sharing, exposure to new ideas, awareness of global challenges, and a sense of my own contribution.

Like my colleagues, I engaged in activities of key interest, including thematic discussions, presentations, and side events with inter-faith organizations. My engagements on the SDGs mainly focused on conversations regarding eradicating hunger, poverty reduction, climate action, gender equality, access to education and healthcare, and the protection of children.

It was intriguing to learn at the side events session highlighting the role of the private sector as a driving force behind achieving the SDGs. Collaborative efforts involving governments, civil society and the private sector are crucial in realizing sustainable development. The emphasis on working together aligns with the initial vision set forth when the SDGs were launched.

During our time in New York, our group was able to attend a meeting of faith-based groups to learn and talk about the protection of children. The conversation on the protection of children within the context of faith-based initiatives was thought-provoking. The discussion centered around children’s well-being and safety as essential components of sustainable development and how involving faith-based organizations in these discussions can bring unique perspectives and solutions.

A call for action by Rabbi John from Baha’i International during the faith-based gathering highlighted the importance of moving beyond slogans and taking concrete steps to address the challenges facing children. While slogans may raise awareness, practical actions are necessary to make a meaningful impact. This underscores the need for tangible solutions and initiatives that directly address the well-being and protection of children.

I was encouraged that the call for action resonated with everyone at the table during the faith-based gathering. Emphasizing the importance of reporting suspected threats of violence against children is critical in ensuring their safety and well-being. Reporting such incidents can help initiate appropriate interventions and support systems to protect children from harm. This reinforces the notion that individuals have a collective responsibility to act when they witness or become aware of potential dangers to children.

It was also important to note that the discussion highlighted various channels through which individuals can effectively report suspected threats against children. Reporting to child rights advocacy groups, civil society organizations, government authorities through security apparatus and faith-based advocacy groups were all valuable avenues to raise awareness and ensure appropriate action is taken. The essence of these channels could not be over-emphasized, as they play a crucial role in addressing and mitigating risks to children’s well-being. Participants were encouraged to utilize these channels and promote a culture of reporting to protect children from violence and harm.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to ELCA World Hunger, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Lutheran Office for World Community for generously sponsoring my participation at the event. The experience and knowledge gained during this event have been invaluable, providing me with a deeper understanding of global challenges and the SDGs.

With continued support, I hope to create a positive impact, ensuring that the principles discussed at the HLPF translate into tangible improvements for individuals and societies. Once again, thank you, ELCA World Hunger, for investing in my development, and I look forward to making a meaningful difference in the field of education and sustainable development.

Willie with statue of Nelson Mandela inside the UN building

In July 2023, four leaders from across the United States joined ELCA World Hunger and the Lutheran Office for World Community in New York City as delegates of the Lutheran World Federation at the 2023 United Nations High-Level Political Forum. The forum was an opportunity for UN member states, agencies and organizations to share updates on progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. As our delegation learned, progress against the goals has been slow and, in some cases, has reversed. The delegation, representing the 149 member churches of the Lutheran World Federation, including the ELCA, was able to hear from leaders around the world, meet other advocates, connect with staff from the ELCA’s advocacy office in Washington, DC, listen to stories of changes and challenges, and consider together how each of us can be part of the work toward the Sustainable Development Goals in our communities.

Below is a reflection from one of the participants, Pastor Brianna Lloyd. Rev. Lloyd currently serves as pastor of Ka Hana O Ke Akua church (UCC) on the leeward side of Oʻahu and an alum of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary’s Center for Climate Justice and Faith, which is supported in part by ELCA World Hunger. Click here to read a reflection from Kitty Opplliger, who joined Rev. Lloyd as part of the delegation to the UN.

I didnʻt know it at the time, but as we began our week at the UN High Level Political Forum, a boat from Japan, advocating for the UN Sustainable Development Goals, had docked in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.  The Peace Boat, a Japan-based NGO with a U.S. presence at the United Nations, ended its 114th voyage in Honolulu with a “Pledge to Our Keiki”—a commitment to the children of Hawaiʻi for a future of sustainable tourism.  The “Pledge to Our Keiki” signing ceremony was organized in partnership with the nonprofits Kanu Hawaii and Blue Planet Alliance, along with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Oahu Visitors Bureau, Alaska Airlines and other groups. These groups were and are bringing some of the UN Sustainable Development Goals to life in the particular context and community that is Hawaiʻi.

Rev. Lloyd and Kitty Oppliger await the start of a session at the UN

As our group in New York listened to the many discussions in the conference rooms of the UN, we had to bridge the gap between discussions of pressing global issues, with broad, sweeping language, and our own contexts. The week was a practice of translation, and the practice continues in the days and weeks following the event.  For example, what does Goal 6: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” mean in my context of Hawaiʻi?

My own journey to the UN began with some advocacy work related to the Navy’s fuel spills on Oʻahu at Kapūkakī (Red Hill), affecting thousands of military and civilian families.  Over the course of this past year, as the Navy flushed the fuel from the groundwater, they or their contractors used nearly five billion gallons of water, while those of us living on Oʻahu were asked to limit our own use of water. The Oʻahu Water Protectors and community leaders, such as Wayne Tanaka of the Hawaiʻi Sierra Club and Native Hawaiian community leader Healani Sonoda-Pale, continue to fight to protect the sacred water reserves of Oʻahu and to hold the Navy accountable to its mission of service and protection. I believe their work addresses Goal 6. There are many other organizations, groups, and events around Hawaiʻi—like Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi and the Pledge to Our Keiki—that are working at a similar goal.

Lutheran delegates learn about South Sudan from Presbyterian leaders

As we follow up from our week attending the HLPF, I understand anew that translation and communication from the ground here in Hawaiʻi and other local communities to larger bodies like ELCA World Hunger and the Lutheran World Federation, and vice-versa, are essential threads to galvanize the work. One of the most well-known quotes from Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi before the Kingdom was illegally overthrown by American businessman, goes, in part, like this:  “You must remember never to cease to act because you fear you may fail.”

There is much being done everywhere. Perhaps we might draw hope from one another.

This week, four leaders from across the United States joined ELCA World Hunger and the Lutheran Office for World Community in New York City as delegates of the Lutheran World Federation at the 2023 United Nations High-Level Political Forum. The forum was an opportunity for UN member states, agencies and organizations to share updates on progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. As our delegation learned, progress against the goals has been slow and, in some cases, has reversed. The delegation, representing the 149 member churches of the Lutheran World Federation, including the ELCA, was able to hear from leaders around the world, meet other advocates, connect with staff from the ELCA’s advocacy office in Washington, DC, listen to stories of changes and challenges, and consider together how each of us can be part of the work toward the Sustainable Development Goals in our communities.

Below is a reflection from one of the delegates, Kitty Oppliger, from southeast Michigan.

I am writing from New York City, my first time to the city, and much less to the UN. Each moment I remain in awe of the humanity, consequence and potential that surrounds me, both inside and outside of the conference rooms. I am honored to have been given this opportunity alongside my patient and gracious hosts/colleagues from the ELCA and the Lutheran World Federation- and quite honestly every moment I question why I was asked to attend such an important event. Nevertheless, God has placed me here, and I know I can best serve God’s will by being present, aware and authentic.

Each day has been full of challenges and beauty, conversation and contemplation, tears and laughter. The moments of reflection that have been built into our schedule are valuable times to integrate the vast volumes of information coming at us. Devotion and prayer allow me to stay focused on the One who brought me here and is sustaining me throughout. I am learning so much, but centering God above all keeps me from plunging into the depths of overwhelm and fatigue.

Delegates wait for the Food and Agriculture Organization to launch the annual State of Food Security Report

Looking ahead, we have work to do. We have connections to make, voices to uplift, harms to heal, attitudes to align. This can seem an insurmountable task. During one of our devotions, our group reflected upon the feeling of smallness and inadequacy facing the challenges raised during the daily sessions. Even so, I am heartened by the enthusiasm and passion shared by so many here at this year’s High-Level Political Forum. Civil society participants of many ages, genders, nationalities and backgrounds demonstrate the diversity of groups committed to ensuring a future in which the Sustainable Development Goals may one day be realized. We must boldly challenge the status quo and demand that governments put aside corporate and political interests in the interest of serving the achieving a just and equitable world. We cannot stand by in silence as those in power continue to disenfranchise those without.

Our small cohort here in NYC is returning home to far-flung environments, in Hawai’i, Michigan, Ohio and Georgia. A repeated sentiment throughout the week has been the importance of community-based, “contextually intelligent” (credit to Calla Gilson for this term) action: giving those affected by national policy and international changes a chance to voice their concerns and be truly heard. I know that my ears have been opened and my heart left raw. They will remain primed for hearing the stories and voices of the most vulnerable in my own community. My prayer is that we will all seek to see Christ in all our neighbors, that we will strive to walk along this difficult road together, led by our Creator.

Kitty Oppliger, MPH