Overwhelmed and overwhelming. 

“Malnutrition is the world’s leading cause of poor health.” 

We are all so hyper-aware of every calamity, tragedy, violence, and injustice everywhere all over the globe all at once that we cannot help but be overwhelmed by it all. Because it is truly overwhelming. 

“1 in 3 people suffer from at least one of the following:

• chronic undernourishment from lack of calories
• vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• overweight and obesity”

Our heart—our spirit—evolved and developed in order to care about and respond to the calamity, tragedy, violence, and injustice in our village, our local community. Instead, almost all of us almost every moment of every day carry around a device that seemingly never stops notifying us of all the ways we are failing each other. Of course we’re overwhelmed. It is overwhelming. 

“Every year, about one-third of all the food produced in the United States goes to waste.” 

We simply do not have the capacity for solving all the problems in all the places. And yet, we cannot do nothing. Doing nothing is for certain how evil triumphs. 

In this week’s gospel reading from John, Jesus is presented with a problem. Not just healing a man born blind, but explaining why he is blind. His response is to remove all blame and to make his solution out of the most basic, earthy elements: dirt and spit. 

Maybe we can learn from Jesus. We cannot do everything and we are unwilling to do nothing. But we can take on one or two problems using the resources available to us. We have a voice and we have influence. We have power. 

“Every human being is created in the image of God and has inherent dignity and should have access to sufficient nutritious food.” 

That’s really what any Offering of Letters is all about: Using our power to help as many people as we are able. Ensuring that our elected leaders hear our voice and know what matters to us. That’s why our Offering of Letters is asking our Congressional leaders to support Farm Bill legislation that builds healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems. 

What does that mean? What specifics do we know? How do we pay for it? Who is helped? 

Pastor Dave will explore those questions and more this Sunday, March 19th, in his sermon, “Who’s Hungry?” 

Keep reading this eNews for more details on our Offering of Letters and other simple ways to help neighbors in need. 

Worship with us Sunday at 10:00am in person or online via our Woodridge UMC YouTube Channel. All are welcome!