Pizza and God

My sister works in an inner city ministry - in another city. This past Saturday they took 18 kids out for the day. They began with cleaning up a local park, then went for a free airplane rides. Lunch at the airport was followed by bowling, which the kids loved. I'll let her tell the rest of the story, beginning at what happens at the end of the final event, a "God Rocks" concert.

"This is where the real fun began. After the concert the church was having free pizza and ice cream. The [inner-city] kids were gorging on the pizza -one youth in particular. After the leaders got together to talk [we] discovered that he had eaten a minimum of 14 slices of pizza.

When they brought the ice cream out the kids each had one then they went up for another one. Every time we turned around they had more ice cream - we spoke to them to correct. The next thing we turned around to see was the kids shoving ice cream in their pockets. Now common sense would tell you that if you put ice cream in your pockets it's gonna melt...

What message I received from all this was the kids screaming out: "We don't have enough at home help us" Each and everyone of these kids (except for 2) are from single parent homes or kids that are being raised by their grandparent."

I have to admit, the idea of kids shoving ice-cream in their pockets seems kind of funny at first. Honestly, I have to tell you - the thought of doing that never occurred to me as a kid. Sitting in mud-puddles, sure. But shoving ice-cream in my pockets? Then again, I don't remember living with chronic hunger when I was a kid, either. Frankly, I don't remember ever being hungry at all. So when the kids swarm the pizza and start shoving ice cream in their pockets, well, maybe they're telling us something.

"As I said to you above," my sister continued, closing her email, "the message I got was "help us we don't have enough." How can we step in the gap to help them, as a church, as a city?"

How, indeed.

Comments

[Amber]

Wow. That is funny, and then very sad. I've seen that kind of thing on the reservation. We always feed the kids lunch every day we're there. Last year some of the kids were taking the scraps from the plates and sticking them in their purses or pockets - the scraps! They were either taking it home to eat later or taking it home for their family. Breaks your heart, doesn't it.

[so i go]

well, for starters, let me just say thank you for this post.

how can we step in? well, obviously something took place in your family and your upbringing (i'm not sure what), that eventually developed into you and your sister having a heart for the poor and the downtrodden. it may have been subtle, or, maybe it was quite obvious, but i'd be really interested to know either way (if you're so inclined to share).

so, that's a huge thing right there. as parents, we have to teach our children. teach them well. that's a start, and a huge one at that. live by example and in such a way that you give of your time and your resources to offer hope to the hopeless.

and then, i think we have to attack it one person at a time. we have to BEGIN it. don't leave it to someone else. get up and go.. make a difference. now. what are you waiting for?

sorry, got preachy there.


"go back to your own blog, jeff. stop your ranting and pimpin' on mine" said RWK.

[bjk]

How to start...one person....and yet ONE BIG GOD.....tears for the children yes.....tears in not knowing what to do.....tears in wanting to DO something......and I hear 'you gotta start somewhere.'.....

[HeyJules]

There's a sign on the front lawn of a church I drive by every day and this week's message is: Got everything you need? Then try sharing...

Amen.

Amen, amen, amen.

[[rhymes with kerouac]]

Amber - Yes, it does.

so i go - Jesus has always been a part of our family - for as long as I can remember. And pimpin' and rantin' - I can do that too. But when you do it brother, it's stylin'...;)

bjk - Yup... start somewhere, anywhere. The journey of a thousand miles begins with getting off the couch.

HeyJules - Someone should start a website to collect photos of church signs.

[ken]

Hi, this is my first time visiting your blog. I came over from Jules. I have to say, that when I read about corporations like Exxon making over 30 BILLION dollars last year, or a CEO of a NON PROFIT HMO exercising his stock options for 500 million dollars, and then I read about kids like these, I have to wonder about the priorities of society. When is profit simply too much, and at what expense? You could make a serious dent in hunger in both the US and Canada with just half of Exxons profits, and that's just one company. Our socirty needs to seriously reprioritize what we value; lives over profits.

[mark]

One of my favorite new CDs is the soundtrack for the Curious George movie by Jack Johnson. He has a great song about sharing, and how things are more fun when we share. If only we would take that song to heart and then share that song with others that really need to hear it. Those kids wouldn't need to stuff food in their pockets so that they would have some for later, if those of us with excess would share what we have been blessed with.

[[rhymes with kerouac]]

ken - It's nice to have you with us! You're right - we have our priorities all mixed up. Exxon is only the tip of the iceberg - we routinely spend $100 million to make a movie, the Toronto Blue Jays will spend more than $250 million in salaries this year. It just goes on and on.

mark - You know, it really is that simple. People don't believe it when you tell them, but it really is.

[Layla]

Hi RWK, antoher great post. Nothing I can add that wasn't already said. I'm very grateful for people like you and your sister