Christian Outrage: No One Should Go Hungry

Written By Johnny Celestin

I continue to be stunned by our country's contradictions and cruelties. We claim to be a Christian nation, but have forgotten that Jesus' teachings emphasize caring for the hungry, viewing it as service to God.

𝐼𝑛 π‘€π‘Žπ‘‘π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘€ 25:35-37, 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑠 π‘ π‘Žπ‘¦π‘ , "πΉπ‘œπ‘Ÿ 𝐼 π‘€π‘Žπ‘  β„Žπ‘’π‘›π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘”π‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘šπ‘’ π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œ π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘... π‘‡π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘™π‘¦ 𝐼 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑙 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’, π‘€β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ 𝑑𝑖𝑑 π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘™π‘’π‘Žπ‘ π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘ π‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘ π‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘’, π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ 𝑑𝑖𝑑 π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘šπ‘’." π½π‘œβ„Žπ‘› 3:17-18 π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘  𝑒𝑠, "𝐼𝑓 π‘Žπ‘›π‘¦π‘œπ‘›π‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘  π‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘Žπ‘™ π‘π‘œπ‘ π‘ π‘’π‘ π‘ π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑠 π‘Ž π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘ π‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑖𝑛 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑑 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘  π‘›π‘œ 𝑝𝑖𝑑𝑦 π‘œπ‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘š, β„Žπ‘œπ‘€ π‘π‘Žπ‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘™π‘œπ‘£π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ πΊπ‘œπ‘‘ 𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘œπ‘›?"

These aren’t just New Testament ideas. The Old Testament makes feeding the hungry a sacred duty.

π·π‘’π‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘›π‘œπ‘šπ‘¦ 15:11 π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘ , "π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 π‘Žπ‘™π‘€π‘Žπ‘¦π‘  𝑏𝑒 π‘π‘œπ‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘π‘’π‘œπ‘π‘™π‘’ 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘™π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘. π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’, 𝐼 π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑏𝑒 π‘œπ‘π‘’π‘›β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œπ‘€π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘’π‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€ πΌπ‘ π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘’π‘™π‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘  π‘€β„Žπ‘œ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑦." π‘ƒπ‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘š 146:7 π‘‘π‘’π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ πΏπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘ "𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 π‘“π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘’π‘›π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘¦." π‘ƒπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘π‘  22:9 π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘β„Žπ‘’π‘ , "π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘”π‘’π‘›π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘’π‘  𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘ π‘’π‘™π‘£π‘’π‘  𝑏𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑, π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘¦ π‘ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘œπ‘Ÿ." π‘ƒπ‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘š 107:9 π‘π‘’π‘™π‘’π‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ πΊπ‘œπ‘‘ "π‘ π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘ π‘“π‘–π‘’π‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘‘π‘¦ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘’π‘›π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘”π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘”π‘ ."

The press is still debating who is responsible for the government shutdown, as though Republicans don't control all three branches of government. Moreover, the king-President does whatever he wants whenever he wants.

Senate Republicans could negotiate in good faith and commit to not letting the President disregard whatever deal is made. If they're not interested in negotiations, they have the power to eliminate the filibuster, the rule requiring 60 votes in the Senate to pass most laws.

Meanwhile, the President has shown he can move money around when he wants to. He's still paying ICE agents even as other services shut down. If there's money to fund deportations, there's money to fund food assistance.

However, this whole debate misses the bigger picture. The real problem isn't about laws, rules, or procedures. It's about right and wrong, and the loss of our humanity.

We live in the richest country in the world, yet one in eight Americans, or about 42 million Americans, do not have enough food.

These aren't just numbers. They're our neighbors, our coworkers, the person who rang up our groceries. Many of them have jobs and work full-time, but still can't afford housing, clothing, and food.

This is what we should be talking about, and it should simply be unacceptable. Not the political blame game over a shutdown, but the deeper injustice of a country that lets millions go hungry while billionaires hoard unimaginable wealth. We've gotten used to people struggling even though we have more than enough. We've turned the suffering of working people into a political argument instead of treating it like the crisis it is.

This is what makes my blood boil. Not blue versus red. Not that the government machinery is broken or that good governance is out the door. It's that we've lost our sense of what's right.

I am outraged, and you should be too, that hunger exists anywhere in the world, but especially in the richest nation on earth.

Johnny Celestin
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