Editor’s note: This Lent season, Bread Blog is running a series of devotionals written by staff, alumni, and friends of the San Francisco Theological Seminary, which is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A).
By Andy Deeb
A man with leprosy approaches Jesus. He's never seen Jesus before, never met him (at least as far as we know).
“You could heal me if you wanted to.”
Jesus doesn't miss a beat. He doesn't hesitate, he doesn't recoil at the sight of an “unclean” man approaching him. Instead, Jesus does the last thing anyone expects: he reaches out and touches the man.
“I want to. Be cleansed.”
How long had it been since someone had touched that man? How long had his illness kept him isolated?
Instantly the man’s leprosy left him. Instantly. Jesus then instructs him to go and begin the process of reintegration into the community.
Unfortunately, our own healing and the healing of the world around us is rarely so instant. Problems are not often resolved in a single moment. Sometimes I wonder why God can't simply come down and magically fix things. I find myself slipping into this line of thinking somewhat regularly these days. Creation cries for Creator, and no relief seems to come.
The key significance of today’s reading is not in the miraculous power of Jesus, but in the expression of God's desire. This desire is one that would see us healed and restored, a desire to see us connected, not alienated.
Remember this desire if you find yourself feeling bitter, hopeless, or burned out. When violence, hate, and bigotry seem to prevail over love, mercy, and justice, remember the cross. Darkness appeared to overcome the Light, but it was in this appearance of defeat that the Light prevailed. Though things may seem dark, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5). God’s desire will prevail.
Loving God, preserve our hope.
Andy Deeb is studying for his master of divinity at the San Fransciso Theological Seminary.
Sometimes I wonder why God can't simply come down and magically fix things.
These fact sheets provide a snapshot of hunger and poverty in the United States and in each state plus Washington, D.C.
While hunger declined from 2017 for the general U.S. population, African Americans experienced a one percent increase, an increase of 153,000 African American households.
Mass incarceration has far-reaching effects in the United States. It poses a significant barrier to ending U.S. hunger and poverty by 2030—a goal the United States adopted in 2015. But the connection is not always obvious.
Dear Members of Congress,
As the president and Congress are preparing their plans for this year, almost 100 church leaders—from all the families of U.S. Christianity—are...
This devotional guide invites deepened relationship with and among Pan-African people and elected leaders in the mission to end hunger and poverty.
Thank you for inviting me to preach here at Duke University Chapel. And I especially want to thank the Bread for the World members who have come this morning.
Bruce Puckett urged...
A set of how-to sheets for carrying out advocacy and fact sheets on the current issues Bread for the World is working on.
For new and current Bread grassroots hunger activists.
Ideal as a starter toolkit for new Bread activists or as a set of updates for current activists.
...
These fact sheets provide a snapshot of hunger and poverty in the United States and in each state plus Washington, D.C.
Unnecessarily long prison sentences, combined with the lack of rehabilitative programs for people in prison, exacerbate hunger, poverty, and existing inequalities.
Overly harsh mandatory minimum prison sentences have contributed to the rapid increase of our country’s prison population. The...