Stefan Epp-Koop of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank invites us to consider Christ’s call to not abandon some of our most vulnerable neighbours, in particular during the current Canadian federal election.
Early in a recent visit to South Sudan, one of our hosts, Bishop Joseph Mamer Manot of the Episcopalian Church, reminded us of Jesus’ call in Matthew 25, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father… for I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
Many people in South Sudan are struggling to survive. Widespread flooding wiped out crops last year. Food prices have risen rapidly. War in neighbouring Sudan has meant losing key markets where people purchased food and sold goods. Hunger is widespread.
But the remarkable thing that we saw in every community we visited was that people experiencing crisis themselves were choosing to open their homes to people fleeing the war. Mary, a 33-year-old mother of three, shared: “I feel so bad because they have nothing to eat, they have nowhere to sleep, they don’t have anything.” Without hesitation she welcomed 11 displaced people – complete strangers – to live with her in her house.
Times are incredibly hard for Mary’s family. Like many in her community, Mary survives on one meal a day of sorghum and wild leaves. But everything Mary has is now shared with these guests. I’m not sure I can imagine a greater manifestation of what Jesus described in Matthew 25, the literal taking in of the stranger. Where does this generosity come from? Mary responded quickly: “From God.”
What does this mean for us, thousands of kilometres away? Most of us will not sit under a tree in a South Sudanese village listening to Mary and her neighbours describe the crisis they are experiencing.
But Christ’s exhortation to feed the hungry applies to us too. So what are we called to do as Christians?
First, we need to be aware of the realities of hunger experienced in our world. Jesus walked towards people who were suffering, not away. He listened to people describe their realities. This is challenging. The crisis in South Sudan – or hunger issues generally – rarely reaches the news in Canada. It can feel depressing, hopeless and uncomfortable. But if we are going to make a difference, we need to be aware of the struggles faced by people experiencing hunger.
Second, if Mary can share her home with 11 strangers, surely we too can share from our resources to address hunger – whether that is close to home or around the world. There are many needs in our world. We as Christians are called to live a life of generosity by sharing our resources and gifts, and responding to others in their time of need.
During this election, we should ask candidates to support international assistance.
Third, we can seek to build a compassionate and caring society that values feeding the hungry. While individual generosity is critical, governments can mobilize the large resources necessary to respond to the scale of need our world experiences. We should ask our governments to be caring. During this election, we should ask candidates to support international assistance, helping communities experiencing severe crisis to recover and become free of hunger.
And finally, we can pray. Pray for the people of South Sudan and everywhere else impacted by hunger. Pray for peace, since the largest driver of hunger in our world is conflict. Pray for the organizations and the staff who work in places like South Sudan. And pray for those who choose to be helpers, people like Mary. People who are not paid to do this, who are struggling to survive, and yet share what they have.
I pray that I too can learn from the generosity and sharing I saw in South Sudan and for a world in which we are all inspired by people like Mary, and can demonstrate the compassion Jesus taught.
Stefan Epp-Koop is the senior manager of humanitarian programming for Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end hunger. In the 2023-24 budget year, the Foodgrains Bank provided $68.3 million of assistance for 974,683 people in 35 countries. Its programs are undertaken with support from the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. Assistance from the Foodgrains Bank is provided through its member agencies, which work with local partners in the developing world.
Top photo shows community in Aweil East, South Sudan, where a local partner ZOA-Dorcas South Sudan is implementing a food assistance project for 9,720 people with support from Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Photo by Femi Fadahunsi.
Middle photo shows a community meeting held at the project site. Photo by Stefan Epp-Koop.
Lower photo shows Canadian Foodgrains Bank executive director Andy Harrington, senior humanitarian manager Stefan Epp-Koop and marketing specialist Femi Fadahunsi, travelling to visit humanitarian partners in South Sudan. Photo by Christina Philips.