Britain isn’t eating. Ian Duncan Smith got very upset when Church Action on Poverty created this picture, but it’s true. Food banks are commonplace. Needing to use a food bank, even more so.
What has this got to do with faith?
Jesus said that we will always have the poor with us. He didn’t say we should comfortably accept that fact and get on with our lives. In fact these days, it’s increasingly hard to comfortably get on, given that we could be one massive bill away from poverty and hunger ourselves.
Christians cannot sit idly by and watch people starve. We should be shouting loudly about injustice, challenging it when we see it and asking questions when something seems wrong.
The government spends £2.5bn on fighter jets while ¼ of children in the UK live in poverty.
This has got to stop.
This Lent, people are going hungry. This Lent, people are going hungry in solidarity with them and to send a clear message to the government that they need to sort things out. They cannot make devastating cuts to the poor, protect the rich and expect to get away with it. One person hasn’t eaten a thing since Ash Wednesday and hundreds – maybe thousands – will join them for the day of fasting tomorrow. Here at FoR we’ve got staff doing the fast and tweeting a picture of their empty plate with #FastApril4th while sustaining ourselves using the facebook page and event for the day fast.
Austerity and hunger will only lead to conflict, more austerity and more hunger. It’s unjust and it’s an act of violence.
This April 4th, go hungry with the hungry and pledge to End Hunger Fast.
