Some questions you might want to reflect on: What are you doing to mark this week? What are you experiencing? What is God teaching you? Where have you seen God at work? Feel free to answer these, or any other reflections!
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One thing that really surprised me is that I am already hungry and it is just the first part of the week! Seriously, I've been reflecting on choices and availability. I am choosing to participate, but the real poor have no choice. I can shop around for cheaper foods, but the poor have limited availability and accessibility. I am able to cook more (say for several days) and have it cost less, but the poor have to worry about every bit of fuel they consume. I have had these thoughts before, but perhaps it is more "real" to me now? So I am feeling privileged. Is privilege a good thing? Perhaps it is a both a blessing and a responsibility. What is My responsibility? Is there any benefit in reflecting on why I have these choices and others don't? Sharing and stewardship, of course. Hmm, I need to think more about this. Holy Spirit, open my heart and mind and lead me in the way I should go.
ReplyDeleteConfession: so I'm sitting here a few hours after eating my rice and beans and I'm just fine with that. Then, this pizza delivery car slows down in front of the house and pulls into the driveway. No one is here so I know we didn't order a pizza and I'm thinking -- Wow, maybe they'll deliver a pizza here accidentally. How could it be that two days into this I'm already thinking about stealing someone's pizza?????? Did I say stealing -- I mean I'd pay for it.
ReplyDeleteToday I found myself looking forward to the end of the week and thinking about all my favorite foods. Then I realized how absurd that is. I have more than enough in almost every area of my life - shelter, transportation, clothing, etc. I’m merely inconvenienced by sacrificing some food for a short time. Next week I’ll return to my normal eating habits while so many people have no choice but to continue living on an inadequate diet. Surely this isn't the type of world God intended for us. It's frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI sat tonight looking at my plate of black beans and rice - still hungry but unable to eat any more of it. It made me realize how much variety I really do have in my diet and how much I take that for granted.
ReplyDeleteI also have a dull headache and find myself thinking about food a lot - mainly when I am going to eat next and what am I going to eat. It makes it hard to concentrate during class. My energy level is also down. I'm just starting to understand more why it is so difficult for children living in poverty to succeed in school.
ReplyDeleteGreat insights from everyone so far. I can identify with most of what everyone else is sharing. The physical aspect of hunger is hard, feeling the hunger pangs and being distracted by my stomach growling, but the mental part is much harder. Thinking about being hungry, being tired, maybe even grouchy. And feeling this makes Heather's comment make even more sense -"I'm just starting to understand more why it is so difficult for children living in poverty to succeed in school."Honestly, I had never given that much consideration before. Now it is becoming much more real.
ReplyDeleteCentralinians :) Thank you so much for sharing what is on your heart. It is really awesome to hear what people in our body are feeling and doing. I feel connected to Central through all this, and hearing everyone's thoughts has even made that feeling greater.
ReplyDeleteI can identify with every post so far. It's as if they are the thoughts right out of my head. It is so amazing, and interesting to know that people are thinking just like me, that we are in this together. I have found myself longing for the end of the week, getting excited about food, and getting frustrated with not being able to eat what I want. But then it reminds me that there are so many people out there that can't just stop this diet in a week. That have a much worse diet than I do even now, and that are stuck in that situation. Even though I realize this, I am still thinking about brownies five minutes after thinking about the beautiful children and people starving all over the world. I am so short sighted at times.
I hope that God uses this time to make us more compassionate, more empathetic, and more like himself.
in Him
Tonight some of the Centralites in our neighborhood are invited to participate in: "Iron Chef: Beans and Rice!"
ReplyDeleteTonight's theme ingredients...
[insert dramatic music. Cue dry ice and light show]
Um... well... beans and... er... um...rice.
(And anything else you can scrounge up for under $2 a day!)
One of our Iron Chefs sent the following note, asking to participate "in the subcategory of Iron Chef: Leftovers, the concurrent subcategory of Iron Chef: Semi-Sans Spices, and the sub-subcategory of Iron Chef: I Maybe Put A Little Too Much Rice In The Rice Cooker. You'll all be impressed, I'm sure."
In the words of someone's uncle, "Allez cuisine!"
What has really struck me is how unhealthy and unbalanced this diet is. The cheapest food is carbs, but that is also the food your body burns up the quickest, making you tired and unable to focus...I feel awful for not eating my 5 fruits and veggies a day, but I know that there are millions of people in the world who are lucky if they get one piece of fruit a day. I have realized how lucky I am to be able to fill my Kroger cart with fresh fruits and veggies weekly.
ReplyDeleteI have thought before about hunger in the world but never really identified and visualize it. This week, when I get hunger pains, I think about parents starving themselves to give more to their kids; Eating at this level and then having to engage in 10-12 hours of manual labor; Saving a small piece of bread to nibble on during the day to get though. And left overs, there is none of them in many places in world.
ReplyDeleteIf feel blessed to be at Central. Blessed that we have the pastoral leadership/creativity/heart to push us out of our comfort zones and get us in-touch with the world community. Blessed for all that we have.
May God Bless the people of the world who we are experiencing a small glimpse of this week (small in that we are hungry for a week, but we climb into our warm beds, in our heated homes, and have access to heath care).
This blog and community experience has gotten me deeper in to the Central community. I am blessed for that as well.
And my God continue to bless Central
I took a 40 minute walk today with Sam and we prayed the entire time for this challenge - thanking God for stretching our faith and comfort level. We have both been very physically hungry, but I woke up today feeling more spiritually hungry and thirsting for God's presence.
ReplyDeleteGod has been speaking to me this week about how privileged I am to have the choices I have. I never realized how much I took for granted simple things like salt and pepper, butter, creamer for coffee, even no-stick spray for cooking. (Do people have ways to make food not stick to pans over there? Do people have pans?) These are all thoughts that have been challenging my thinking this week along with the physical emptiness that I have felt from being without adequate nutrients.
I feel very blessed to be part of this challenge and having the support that we do to experience these types of things in life. Sure, I don't feel well and I want to sleep a lot more than usual, but knowing that we are only experiencing a mere fraction of the everyday life that the poor and the starving live through each day is astounding...
A final thought - I love that everyone is taking their own twist on this challenge. Some focused solely on the physical spending amount of $2 dollars a day, some feel like solidarity can be accomplished by not buying any food and just eating what is in the pantry/freezer, others, like myself have decided to buy the staple products that are accessible such as beans, rice, eggs and bread. Whatever way we are experiencing this challenge of solidarity, God is in it and wants us to know what His intentions for His people. Amazing things...
- Katie Haver
Many recipes were developed in conditions of poverty. I have felt a going back to my roots in many ways, more connected with my heritage as Sicily was (and is largely) a desperately poor country. Much of the cuisine came from creatively combining inexpensive food items for nutritious and enjoyable sustenance.
ReplyDeleteHere's a recipe my grandmother used to make, and I still do: Bean and Escarole.
EVOO in frying pan - heat (add garlic and salt)
put in washed and cut Escarole - cook for 2-5 minutes
When leaves are cooked but not overcooked, add a can of kidney beans
Serve with a loaf of Italian bread
total cost: $3.50 - should have 2-4 servings making it <1/4 to <1/2 of the daily ration.
-JDG
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ReplyDeleteThis morning I woke up week and dizzy. I had not had anything in two days except water. Its only Wednesday and I had to eat breakfast, that or call in to work sick. The night before I came home and physically crashed on the sofa at 9 pm. I had not idea how tired I would feel. I know I would be hungry but I am a bit of a large person and figured I could rely on my waistline to keep my engine going. Next thing I know I am watching the John Adams Series wondering what George Washington and John Adams are stuffing into their mouths and I dont care how much their fake teeth hurt I would work trough the pain if meant getting a hold of a steak.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand they say that your body starts to cleanse a bit when you fast. I have been feeling a sense of that. I am more and more amazed at the desert fathers and their abilities to go so long without food. I also think of the Monks of Europe who would drink beer (liquid bread) during their fasts and wondering if they got drunker faster on an empty stomach.
Anyone else see deer in their backyard and begin fantasizing about what they would be like in a crock pot??
I have to admit that I've "cheated" on my plan for this week. We're having the same dinner with "chicken nugget sized meat", cous cous and greens every night, oatmeal for breakfast, egg and bread for lunch, small portions and no snacks. It's hard preparing snacks for the kids. Also I've been doing weight watchers, but it's much easier not to be hungry eating a chicken BREAST instead of a nugget, not to mention limited fruits and veggies. Not worrying about creating an exciting meal has led me to more prayer time, and "gut wrenching" hunger has definitely got my attention.
ReplyDeleteThis week reminds me that we have so many feast days in our culture and in the Christian church. We rarely (if ever) collectively practice fast days as other cultures practice. The Solidarity Challenge isn’t about fasting per se, but it is about cutting back or not feasting. It’s a good mental reminder of the rich blessings that we enjoy, with spiritual elements too. Through self-denial we’re reminded of our blessings. Jesus gave us the examples of fasting and feasting. Fasting is a discipline worth repeating together, as is feasting!
ReplyDeleteThis week has definitely made me think more about what so many people have to deal with around the world and how abundantly the Lord provides for us here and I echo a lot of what others have written. I was also able to use it as a small witnessing opportunity with one of my professors. In one of my graduate night seminars he brought food for the last meeting this week and asked why I was not taking any (it was sushi and smelled so good!). I told him what our church was doing and his voice softened and he said he thought that was great. So praise God for presenting that opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI did pretty well on Monday and Tuesday, but ended up with horrible headaches. However, on Wednesday I had two meetings and one was a luncheon and I consumed more than I should (but less than I would have normally). Again, another headache. Today, we had a going-away party for my student and I mindlessly consumed a doughnut (without even thinking about it). Sitting here reading these blogs I realize how food centered my world really is. While I haven't been perfect at this solidarity challenge this week, I have certainly consumed alot less than normal. I have experienced the headaches, the growling stomach and thinking of food every minute! It has made me realize that others in the world experience this daily. However, they do not have the means to end the headaches, the growing stomachs and the intense hunger. It has made me think of what are needs and what are wants. I've been complaining because my living room furniture is becoming worn. Hmmmmm.....now I think how lucky I am to have furniture to put in my warm house. God is helping me to sort between what is a need and what is a want. We are so blessed, but don't realize it.
ReplyDeleteO.K. I've been more focused on food this week. I have also started to micromanage the food. "This is for that meal (NOBODY eat it!)" and "No, you can't have another slice of bread as I am saving it for tomorrow"! And aside from bringing out some control issues it made me realize how very "free" we are with food in our house. We do have an "open fridge" policy and our son's friends help themselves. "Go ahead, eat, eat." I'm hospitable, sure. But I also know that I can replace any food that I need. There is no sacrifice to my hospitality. I know that in some cultures that are poor hospitality is so important that the host family would rather go without food than to leave a visitor hungry. How easy we have it here (comparatively). How very easy it is to take it for granted.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/13/world/asia/20090313-malnutrition-audioss/index.html
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was a story that needs to be seen. I folded open the New York Times today to find an image of a malnurished child on the front page.
http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/03/13/pageone/scan/index.html
Heartbreaking. But I thought how amazing it was that that was on the front page on the last day of the diet. I was fizzling out, just dreaming of tomorrow and all the good food and not really taking this challenge as seriously as I did in the beginning. Then I saw this and I remembered, it is for this precious little children, and beatiful people that we are doing this! Lets finish strong, and be praying for and thinking about our brothers and sisters all over the world today who are suffering.
I have come to realize how my social life is focused on food. I have been invited to lunch this week with co-workers as well as an after work get together. Also, a friend wants to sell me tickets to a Pancake Breakfast. These are all normally opportunities to overeat without thinking about it. It is really countercultural to restrict your eating to only what you need.
ReplyDeleteI checked my weight today and discovered that I've lost a significant amount of weight since Monday. Part of me was a bit excited; I've been trying for years to shed some pounds, and I lost more this week than any other week in my life (in fact, I lost almost as much this week as I lost all of last summer - and I was happy with what I lost last summer.)
ReplyDeleteOf course, losing weight is not the point of the week of solidarity (I see my weight loss as little more than a small bonus to the enormous things I've accomplished and learned this week), but checking my weight today was one of the more striking moments of the week. All the years of stubbornly failing at diets and work-out programs came rushing back to me, memories of a life I've lived way too committed to food. It has been so hard to control my habit with food; as several of the previous posts have noted, so much of my every-day revolves around eating, from the random finger-food snacks laid out at work to the greasy lunch I'll grab uptown if I forgot to pack one, from the dinners I cook with Katie at the end of a long day of class to the cookies I snack on when I'm bored and doing homework. Food is always there for me; it's always accessible, always an option.
This week, food wasn't an option - it was a necessity. I still ate a decent amount, but I restricted it to any variety of rice, carrots, green beans, eggs and bread. And it was only three meals a day; no snacks, no desserts. By the second day, every meal was a shining savior of nourishment.
The hunger, exhaustion and weight loss I experienced this week combined to remind me that I do not place my value in places my value belongs. Too much do I value things of the world - like food - and rely on their being there for me. But when I took those things away and relied on God, whom I should have completely relied on and installed my value in all along, I was forced to find my strength and joy in Him and Him alone, not food.
Now, I'm not about to make the Third World diet a habit in order to lose more weight; I'm no dietitian, but a healthy diet probably consists of something other than carbs. But I am reminded that it is possible to get by without the disgusting amounts of food I often gorge myself with, and in fact much more beneficial (for health and wallet's sake.) Food is not what our lives should revolve around; that role should belong to God. When we do that, we can be humbled and remember to help those who can't afford to have food as an option.
* As a side note, I'd like to add that the week of solidarity has been an incredible tool of ministry for me. I've been able to discuss it with folks I've rarely or never discussed my faith with before. Who knew that when someone asks, "Hey, want a Girl Scout cookie?" and you reply, "No thanks, I'm on a Third World diet this week," it would be a conversation starter?
I realized how *physically* hard this would be on people. I know Ive heard that some people survive on only one meal a day, so I decided to try this myself - eating only the small portions of rice and beans like you said. Monday, I ate all 3 meals. Tuesday, I only ate breakfast and dinner. The plan for today was to only eat dinner. I thought it would be fine because Monday and Tuesday weren't really that bad.
ReplyDeleteBut I woke up today and *man* did I feel the effects of not eating properly. I went to class and felt drowsy, sick, and weak the whole time. When I stood up after sitting down for an hour I nearly fainted, and I struggled not to faint as I walked away from class. I decided it was probably time to eat, so I went and got myself some food.
Even having eaten, I still feel pretty gross overall. My muscles hurt and I just feel weary.
Very interesting - I wonder how these people manage to make it like this everyday, working and managing daily life on so little food.
I went into the week of solidarity VERY excited.
ReplyDeleteLast year I was unable to participate in the week of solidarity. I had recently been diagnosed with gastroparesis - basically my whole digestive tract had become paralyzed. This makes it very hard for me to digest food and absorb nutrients. I knew (and had a peace about the fact) that this was not something God was calling me to participate in - this could be very dangerous to my health as beans are very difficult to digest and I knew my body would not absorb many (if any) nutrients from them.
I struggled with this - a part of me felt that I was being deprived of a spiritual growth experience. But God reminded me that He would not let anything happen to me that would hinder my relationship with Him - in fact, this diagnosis has only brought me closer to Him and more dependent upon Him.
I made a rather stupid mistake this year and decided that I would try to do the week of solidarity despite no improvements in my condition. After only 12 hours of participating I was reminded again that this was not for me - I was nauseous and extremely fatigued. I came home that night crying and my husband was like "kelly, I think it's about time we make you some food."
And so I ate. I ate things that I have learned that I can eat. I felt renewed and replenished.
As I have battled with my illness, a part of me has always mourned the loss of certain foods and the ability to be care-free about what I eat. When people learn about my problem, they always gasp about all of the foods that I cannot eat and all of the medicines that I must take daily.
Like He usually does, God has taken a silly mistake of mine (paricipating in the week of solidarity) and used it to enlighten me. Although It is okay for me to mourn these things at times, the greater part of me should be ever-grateful: I have the ability to choose foods that my stomach can digest; I have the ability to take medicine; I have the ability to minimize the pain I experience.
I cannot imagine what my condition would be like if I did not have these things. And someone, somewhere has a condition like mine and they do not have access to medicine and proper nutrition.
Praise God for opening up my eyes. :)