Faith Action
As followers of Christ, we seek to express and embody God’s reconciling love at all times and in all places. Throughout the Scriptures, God speaks of our purpose to rebuild, restore and renew all that is broken (Isaiah 61). We work to end the brokenness of hunger and poverty in our communities, in our country, and around the world. We partner in God’s work to remove the barriers that impede the flourishing God intended for all people.
Our faith moves us
The themes below are important faith motivations for working to end hunger.
Loving our neighbor
Scriptures speak to the role and responsibility of leaders in caring for poor people (Psalm 72; Jeremiah 22; Proverbs 31:8-9). In the New Testament, Jesus calls his follows to love their neighbors (Matthew 22:39-40) and warns that the nations will be held accountable and judged for the ways that they have treated the least among them (Matthew 25:31-46).
Christian discipleship
In the Gospels, Jesus was compassionate to all people, especially the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the hungry, the poor, and the infirmed — the most vulnerable in society (Isaiah 61:1-2; Matthew 11:2-6; Luke 4:18-21). Jesus loved all people — rich and poor — and actively cared for people in need. He urged his disciples to do the same (Matthew 25:31-46). We too are commissioned to do the same today.
Confession of our complicity to sin
Human sin has marred every aspect of creation. Sin is both individual and social, personal and structural. Because of greed and disobedience to God’s commandments, humanity experiences social and economic disparity that leads to hunger and poverty. Through the prophets, God held rulers accountable for the sin of the nation of Israel (Jeremiah 22:1-5). Poverty is a disastrous aspect of human sin.
We gather in communities of faith
Many Christians belong to a church, a place where they worship, learn, and practice their faith. Because congregations are where many Christians gather regularly, and because congregations form disciples for work in the world, Bread launches its mobilizing of Christians for advocacy through communities of faith.
Bread partners with local congregations and the denominations or networks to which the churches belong to connect with people of faith. Local churches have structures for teaching and training people to live out their faith in the world. Bread works with people in churches to help carry out this important aspect of Christian faith: loving our neighbors, enabling people to eat, and reconciling the world.
Christians’ involvement in civic affairs
As people of faith, we heed our moral call to engage with our government. Practicing citizenship is our right under the U.S. Constitution. Hunger is a profoundly important issue that should be a top concern of our government. We are serving God when we raise issues of hunger and poverty with our government. It is our responsibility to engage in the processes that remind all elected officials to make relief from hunger and poverty a priority and to address their root causes. To convey this message, concerned people of faith can and should be involved in advocacy before the government.
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Matthew 22:39
How much can food banks and charities do?
Food banks and charities provide only one out of every 20 bags of groceries that feed people who are hungry. The federal government provides the rest.
Tools
from our Resource Library
For Education
U.S. Hunger and Poverty State Fact Sheets
These fact sheets provide a snapshot of hunger and poverty in the United States and in each state plus Washington, D.C.
Hunger and Poverty in the African-American Community
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: A Major Cause of Hunger
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.
For Faith
Unity Declaration on Racism and Poverty
A diverse body of Christian leaders calls on the churches and Congress to focus on the integral connection.
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...
In Times Like These … A Pan-African Christian Devotional for Public Policy Engagement
This devotional guide invites deepened relationship with and among Pan-African people and elected leaders in the mission to end hunger and poverty.
Sermon by David Beckmann at Duke University Chapel
Remarks delivered October 1, 2017 at Duke University Chapel in Chapel Hill in North Carolina.
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...
For Advocacy
Grassroots Advocacy Toolkit
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.
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U.S. Hunger and Poverty State Fact Sheets
These fact sheets provide a snapshot of hunger and poverty in the United States and in each state plus Washington, D.C.
Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2017
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...