Hunger

One wrenching issue of the day is the rice shortage together with the world food crisis. The thought of a looming hunger– it’s now here in our country, a long time–can wring the guts of many.

Beth Day Romulo states in her article “Asia Needs a New Green Revolution”:

“It is actually a global crisis, since nearly half of the world’s population depend on rice as their staple food. The world is already consuming more rice than is harvested in any one season. So far the shortfall has been made up by reserve supplies.

But much needs to be done. The president has anticipated a crisis which Congress has so far ignored.” (Philippine Panorama, 03/30/2008)

My Bible reading for today, “Not All Hungers” (Sabbath: Scripture Meditation for Daily Life, 2008), speaks of a different kind of hunger. It is not less gut-wrenching. It says:

“In the Gospel today, Jesus is pleased to satisfy the hunger of the crowd by offering them the bread of the poor. But He doesn’t satisfy their hunger for power by offering Himself to be their king.”

The immoderate greed for money and power brazenly exhibited by many of our leaders and policy-makers are largely responsible for the curse of hunger descending upon our land. At the same time, our leaders’ hunger for money and power does not seem to be satiated at all, as well.

There are different kinds of hunger, indeed.