2026: Hope for a Renewed World 

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”. — John 1:12-13 

Welcome to 2026 and to the season of Epiphany!  

Last month, billions of people around the world celebrated Advent and the birth of Jesus. Advent and Christmastide remind us of the importance of living out the virtues of peace, love, joy, and hope, as we receive the Christ child in our lives. (See Bread’s Advent resource: Advent 2025: People in Uncertain Times.) 

Now, we begin the season of Epiphany leading up to Ash Wednesday, when we will enter the 40 days of Lent before Easter. Epiphany is a time to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying anew in our lives. It is a season for our own rebirth, personally and collectively, as we reflect on the birth of Jesus. Epiphany invites us to take inventory and identify opportunities for growth. This personal assessment can guide our collective lives. 

The 250^th anniversary of the United States is another opportunity to take inventory of where we have been, collectively, and to identify opportunities for good growth—both in the United States and around the world. I recognize, for example, that 250 years ago I, as a person of African descent, would not have had the opportunity to freely live out and share my humanity. Indeed, the horrors of hunger and poverty during enslavement, Jim Crow laws, and Black Codes prevented huge groups of people from experiencing their God-given dignity and right to nutritious food and well-being. Today, African peoples around the world are still disproportionately affected by hunger. 

At the same time, we can see instances when the collective struggle for human and environmental dignity has resulted in progress. The president of Bread for the World, the Rev. Eugene Cho, points this out relative to our mission to end hunger. Over the past 50 years, the world has moved closer to meeting that mission.  

But Rev. Cho also acknowledges that “a series of [U.S.] administrative and congressional actions [have] dealt devastating blows to the United States’ international assistance and domestic social safety net programs.” He emphasizes that millions of families rely on these programs in times of crisis and that those cuts resulted in an increase in hunger. 

Rev. Cho reminds us that although “our collective efforts could not save all the programs and infrastructure that Bread has championed, tested, and improved over the years,” our advocacy has mattered and still does matter. You can read more about this in Rev. Cho’s article Working Together to End Hunger: 2025 Legislative and Policy Achievements.  

As we enter 2026, in this season of Epiphany, let us recognize that this is a unique year for advocacy, with the 250^th birthday of the United States and the U.S. hosting of the G20 Summit. As you take inventory and reflect on renewal, think about how you can be an advocate for those who face hunger.  

Partner with us for the launch of the 2026 Offering of Letters on February 10, 8-9:15 a.m. Register here.