The Blaring Face of Poverty- Feeding the 5,000

(Slum child learning to read and write)

Since returning to Indi@, I moved to a new house and outside the comforts of the government cantonment area in which I lived before. I used to always say the part of the city I lived in before didn’t feel like Indi@. While there were poor people, very rarely did you see beggars. I have now moved into “Indi@”.  While the other house and part of the town I lived in before had it’s own oppression, it was felt differently.

Before, I lived at the top of the mountain close to many Buddhi$t, Mu$lim and H!ndu temp1es and mo$ques. Many of the locals here believe G0d resides in the mountains and more so in the peaks.  Therefore many temples are built in the high places. The government also took over the high places to be used as a fortress and defense against enemy attacks. There was a clear oppression felt living in this area, with the false relig1ons and false id0ls and g0ds being wor$hipped so religiou$ly each day.  It had this biting, take-your-breath-away type of oppression.

I don’t feel that so much now living in this new area; now I feel the sting of the poverty that rages in my face on a daily basis. It causes your heart to skip a beat and take notice, and causes that gut retching feeling in your core. It has its own kind of evil and oppression. It’s fairly un-escapable living in this area. Beggars daily come to our home, they walk the street pulling at your arm. They call out for you, “sister, sister, please, feed me I am hungry!” Here we have a phrase we say, “kya kare” meaning what can we do?

Yesterday, a barefoot 6 year old stood before me.  He most likely works for a pimp (boss) who forces him to work for handouts and charity, and then takes all his money and feeds him once a day. He called out for my charity.  Here giving money only perpetuates the cycle of abuse and poverty; in only keeps the children entrapped in this cycle of human trafficking and slave labor.  I often try to offer to buy the child food, because at least I know they will eat a decent meal and the money won’t be used to harm them more. Usually, once they know I am not gonna give them money, they run away to find someone softer than I that might have mercy on them.  Other times, the child takes you up on the offer for food, but within minutes it seems the child and 15 others come out of the side streets to also be fed a meal. It reminds me of the boy and his fishes…. and Jesu$ feeding the 5,000. I always feel like I can’t possibly feed them all.

The poverty seems endless and impossible. I always question what to do or how to provide or meet their needs. While I have to rely on the Ho1y $pirit for wisdom and direction, day to day and moment to moment, I also have to understand and have faith to believe the G0d I serve can do all things. He can feed all of them, and still collect 12 baskets with leftovers.  Today, I would ask you to join me in pr@ying that I would have eyes of faith and the perspective of the Father to see the 12 baskets left over and not just the 2 fish and 5 loaves.  Today, I can hear the Father saying, “you feed them!” (Mark 6)