2025 Path of Peace reflections - Thursday, Sept. 12, 2025

Hunger

Matthew 3:1–12

John the Baptist is crying out in the wilderness, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” He was preparing the way of the Lord. John the Baptist was a prophet in the mold of the prophet Isaiah. He was calling people to turn their lives around more fully in the direction of God by producing fruit worthy of repentance. Such fruit would be actions, which would reflect God‘s will, God‘s reign, becoming reality — being done here on earth as it is in heaven.

Prophets are needed in every time and place throughout history. We certainly need prophets in our day! We need those who will cry out in the wilderness — and wake us up — to the desperate needs among us, around us and around the world.

Rebecca Barnes and her team at the Presbyterian Hunger Program in Louisville are crying out about the great needs for help and support, locally and around the world, to help feed hungry people and end conditions that perpetuate hunger. Jimmie Hawkins and his team at the Office of Public Witness in Washington and New York are crying out to our Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that we might be better stewards of our citizenship as we lift our voices with and for the least, last, and left out, both here at home and around the world. Finally, Eugene Cho and our ecumenical partners at Bread for the World are crying out in support of legislation and the use of our tax dollars in support of programs that will respond to immediate needs for food, as well as future needs for ending the causes of hunger.

There are prophets among us crying out on behalf of hungry people! May we produce the fruit worthy of repentance. May we turn our lives around more fully in God‘s direction!

Prayer:

God help us! Help us to hear the cry of the hungry among us, around us and around the world. Help us to respond with actions of compassion and justice in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Rev. Frank Dew is a member of Salem Presbytery in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is presently serving on the boards of Bread for the World and the North Carolina Council of Churches.