COP29 - 15 November 2024
God the Sustainer - the gift of food

reflection 

Today we’re reflecting on God’s gift of food to us. For a moment, put to one side the necessity to eat food to survive, and consider your favourite meal. Close your eyes and see the shapes and colours; imagine the smell. Take a bite and hear the crunch; imagine the taste; feel the texture in your mouth.  Eating can be a very sensory experience. Now imagine that you’re sharing the meal with three of your closest friends, all four of you revelling in your friendship as you eat together.

Is it accidental that food is so much more than just a functional part of life? We don’t think so. We think it’s part of God’s blueprint. Ruth Valerio in her book L is for Lifestyle suggests that food is part of the gift relationship that God established with humanity in the Garden of Eden, and therefore has a spiritual aspect. She highlights the number of times the Bible links food and eating with central biblical concepts such as communion, the water of life, fasting. She sees the food she eats and the way she produces it, as one of the ways in which she worships God. If that's the case (and we think it is), then if someone is deprived of food they are depleted spiritually as well as physically. 

Reading today's verses from Genesis, we were struck by God's inclusivity: the gift of food isn't just for us, it's for all God’s creatures. We were also struck by his generosity: the word ‘every’ appears three times in the context of food provision.

And the United Nations tells us that, indeed, enough food is produced today to feed everyone on the planet, and yet hunger is on the rise in some parts of the world, and in 2019 up to 821 million people were considered to be ‘chronically undernourished’. Action Against Hunger reports that globally 1 in 11 people go to bed hungry every night, and 50% of all deaths among children under five are linked to hunger, and yet the World Health Organisation tells us that 1 in 8 in the world are living with obesity. How have we moved so far from God’s blueprint for food?

Conflict, climate change, disasters, inequality and food loss are five of the reasons for food insecurity (World Food Programme), each of them big issues in their own rights. In Making a World of Difference, Dave Bookless tells us that one of the main ways communities experience the climate crisis is through local changes to agriculture, fishing and food production: unreliable rainfall, soil erosion, pest plagues, chemical pollution, rising temperatures. ‘Whereas previous generations could predict when to plant and when to reap, today many feel helpless and confused.’

In the verses from Matthew that we read earlier, we join Jesus talking to his disciples in the final days before his crucifixion, and we can be left in no doubt that he intends us to act in the face of the adversity of others. The question is ‘How?’ The answer will be different for each of us, but perhaps we can all start by re-engaging with food in the way God intended: let’s be mindful of where our food comes from and let’s not waste it.

prayer

As you taught us to pray… Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name… give us today our daily bread.

Father, forgive our greed, our over consumption, and selfishness.

Give us eyes to see the needs of others, a heart that cares sufficiently to want to change, and the determination to take some small steps.

Amen

at cop29

Food and agriculture will be discussed at COP29 on 19 November 2024, during the Food, Agriculture, and Water Day. This event will focus on the critical role of agriculture and food systems in combating climate change and ensuring food security.  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will also launch the Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers on this day. It will be an opportunity to highlight the importance of sustainable food systems in the fight against climate change.

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🗓️ Today at COP29: The focus is on Energy / Peace, Relief and Recovery