To Do Justice
SNAP benefits, which help to feed the hungry, are on the chopping block. Today is a national call-in day to urge our Representatives to vote “no” on the House Farm Bill due to the immoral cuts to SNAP. SNAP or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the federal program that helps feed people across the country.
The threat of moral failure
42 million people in the US don’t have consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. We used to simply call this hunger.
One in eight Americans, including 13 million children in our country don’t have enough food to eat.
In the richest country in the world.
For Christians, this fact represents our complete moral failure to address the most basic requirement of our faith: to feed the hungry.
The Christian imperative to feed the hungry
When the crowds in Luke asked John the Baptist how they were to live, he told them:
Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise. (Luke 3:11)
And in describing the judgment of nations, Jesus again makes it clear how we are to live:
Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food,I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. (Matt 25:34)
Why SNAP matters
Many people don’t know that the SNAP program, which used to be known as “food stamps,” is part of the US Farm bill.
The US House of Representatives is on the verge of passing a new Farm bill that will cut SNAP benefits for about two million Americans, many of them children. If you want more details about the bill, you can find them here.
Help change the moral narrative
In this season of the 40 Days of Action of the Poor People’s Campaign, here is one small way that you can participate in calling for a new moral narrative in our country. Call your representative and let them know that you are a Christian and that you believe it is our moral responsibility to feed the hungry.
If you are an old hand at lobbying your legislators, please take two minutes today to call 833-638-7627.
If you’ve never called your legislator before, today is the day to start! When you call 833-638-7627, you will receive quick messaging guidance and then you will be automatically connected to your Representative’s office.
We have the wherewithal to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in this country and we choose daily not to.
Let’s work together to change that narrative.
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