{"id":4693,"date":"2019-10-18T12:34:45","date_gmt":"2019-10-18T18:34:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/?p=4693"},"modified":"2019-10-18T12:36:03","modified_gmt":"2019-10-18T18:36:03","slug":"seeing-things-differently","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/seeing-things-differently\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeing Things Differently"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

From the story of Pentecost \u2013 the coming of the Holy Spirit \u2013 as told in Acts 2: 17:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your songs and daughters shall prophesy, and your young shall see visions, and your old shall dream dreams.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The walk to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-25<\/a>) is a fairly \u201cwell-trodden\u201d path for many Christians. It\u2019s a story we hear once a year in the lectionary cycle \u2013 a story that comes together so well for me at the end when Jesus has vanished from the disciple\u2019s sight \u2013 and yet, they \u201csee\u201d in a new and different way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWere not out hearts burning within us?\u201d the disciples say to each other. Through the walking and talking, they caught a glimpse of God\u2019s dream for a reconciled world \u2013 perhaps such a glimpse that the whole world might never look the same.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>October 16, was World Food Day<\/a>, a day that also occurs once a year to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945.<\/p>\n

On World Food Day this year, ELCA World Hunger announced<\/a> our upcoming Big Dream grant ministry partners \u2013 a group of four ministries that exemplify innovation and best practices in the pursuit of a just world where all are fed.<\/p>\n

At the same time, 14 people gathered to discern and award the 2020 Domestic Hunger grants<\/a>. Domestic Hunger Grants walk with congregations and their ministry partners as they seek to love and serve their communities in transformative, holistic and integrated ways. The awards are for up to 3 years and up to $10,000 per year, for a possible total award of $30,000. During this process, staff like me are notetakers. My role is to listen and record (a true gift!)<\/p>\n

And on days like this, as we walk together in conversation, you hear many things. But the one that stays with me today is from one of our decision makers at the table who said, \u201cI will need some help deciding on award amounts. I am 17 years old. It\u2019s hard for me to imagine $30,000. I have never seen that much money in my life!\u201d<\/p>\n

The group gathered chuckled a bit, but then … we paused.<\/p>\n

Think about it.<\/p>\n

When was the first time you <\/em>could conceptualize or understand what $30,000 really meant? When did you first \u201csee\u201d that kind of money? Or, have you ever??<\/p>\n

Around the room, people said, \u201cwhen I went to college,\u201d \u201cwhen we bought a house,\u201d \u201cwhen I got a car,\u201d or \u201cwhen I saw a medical bill.\u201d For many, the first time we had \u201cseen\u201d $30,000 was as debt. <\/em><\/p>\n

And yet, others reflected, \u201cLiving on $30,000 a year isn\u2019t easy, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though it is can be difficult to live on $30,0000 in a context like the United States, an annual income of $30,000 (USD) puts a person in the top 1.23% of richest people in the world (Global Rich List<\/em><\/a>)<\/em>. $30,000 is an amount that many or even most <\/em>of our global neighbors may never actually see. <\/em><\/p>\n

And for our high school senior-aged award table member, if all goes according to her plan and she completes college, she may join the ranks of the 45 million people in this country carrying a total of $1.5 trillion <\/em>in student loan debt<\/a> (more than what Americans owe in credit card and auto loan debt combined.)<\/p>\n

And in that moment, through the community gathered, I saw things differently.<\/em><\/p>\n

Faith formation and leadership development are intentional, experiential moments found and honed in and with community \u2013 like the one gathered together on October 16.<\/p>\n

What would it be like if most youth and young people in this church, the ELCA, first \u201csee\u201d or try to conceptualize\u00a0$30,000 represented by the hopes and dreams and plans of program budgets put forth by courageous, creative congregations seeking to love and serve their neighbors and neighborhoods through anti-hunger work?<\/strong> And not as debt\u2014 which is what the world will almost surely present without the alternative.<\/p>\n

What type of leaders would be in our midst if more leaders \u2013 of all ages \u2013 can catch these glimpses that may essentially change the way we see the world around us? How might not only our expectations change, but our communities, relationships and stewardship change too?<\/p>\n

At that table gathered, $30,000 looked like a ministry working with neighbors toward equitable access to food through community gardening and land ownership or like community-led advocacy and capacity building to improve access to safe water in a region dealing with lead pipe infrastructure issues.<\/p>\n

God creates and gifts diversely and abundantly \u2013 and we are freed by grace through faith to boldly discover and wonder what God is up to and how we can be part of that in service with our neighbors and neighborhoods. Faith is a living daring confidence in God\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n

As people of faith, we are called to see things differently because of who God is \u2013 and to help others catch a glimpse of it too.<\/p>\n

God\u2019s gracious abundance opens our eyes to the presence of God among us, freeing us to see visions and dream dreams. And by being church together \u2013 through the Spirit \u2013 those visions and dreams set our hearts on fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cWere not our hearts burning within us while [Jesus] was talking to us on the road?\u201d<\/em> (Luke 24: 23)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mikka McCracken is Director, Strategy and Engagement for ELCA World Hunger.<\/em><\/p>\n

Photo Credit: Cheri Johnson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  From the story of Pentecost \u2013 the coming of the Holy Spirit \u2013 as told in Acts 2: 17: \u201cIn the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your songs and daughters shall prophesy, and your young shall see visions, and your old […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":4696,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[17657,1735,167,69,17658],"class_list":["post-4693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-post","tag-big-dream-grants","tag-debt","tag-domestic-hunger-grant","tag-elca-world-hunger","tag-emmaus"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSeeing Things Differently - ELCA World Hunger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On the road to Emmaus, the disciples encounter the risen Christ and are inspired to see with new eyes the One walking among them - 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