The Bread of liFe— More than spiritual Food

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Am io As
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L esson two
The Bread of Life—
More than spiritual food
Ove rview
Jesus often referred to the “living water” and “bread of life” as He spread the good
news. For people who have difficulty finding water and food to sustain them, it can be
challenging to understand Jesus’ words.
K ey S c rip t ure
John 6:48-51
E s s e n t ial Q uest io n
How do people get the food and water they need to survive?
L e s s on Goals
» Develop a greater understanding of the essential roles water and food play in
community development.
»R
eflect on how water and food projects can lead to transformational development.
M at e rials
Pen, Bible, computer with Internet access, and video player
ONLINE RESOURCE s from womenofvision.wordpress.com/hotm
» “Water for All” video
» “Lonica’s Story” handout
Age n da
» I ntroduction and opening prayer
»V
iew “Water for All” video
»R
eflect on Scripture
»C
onsider our world today
»C
hoose a personal response
»C
lose in prayer
»R
eview homework and further study suggestions
Communities Transformed: Lesson Two | Page 21
I n t r o duct io n and Op ening Prayer
1. Review the food and water logs you created last week. Consider the following:
»D
id you use food or water excessively?
»W
ere you ever in need of food or water but didn’t have it?
»W
hat role did that food and water play in your day? What purpose did it serve?
Gary Dowd, David duChemin/World Vision 2007
»H
ow would your days have been different without easy access to these resources?
2. Offer a prayer. Pray for those who are hungry and thirsty today. Spend a few
moments in silence praying for those you know and those you do not know who are
in this situation.
VIDEO
View the video “Water for All” to gain a greater understanding of the role water
plays around the world.
Which of these responses best describes your reaction and why?
» I was surprised to learn how unavailable water is to some people.
» I don’t know what I would do if my water looked like that.
» My feelings evolved from fear and anger about the situation to hope and joy.
» I want to know more about how to assist villages that need clean water.
» Other: (explain)
Communities Transformed: Lesson Two | Page 22
S c ri p t ure Reflect io n
1. Food and water have been a driving force for action throughout history.
Read the following Scripture passages and consider the role nourishment plays
in each.
Justin Douglass/World Vision 2009
» Genesis 26:1
»E
xodus 3:8
»L
uke 9:12-16
»J
ohn 21:1-14
2. Consider the following questions in relation to the Scripture passages. Then
share or journal your responses:
» What does food cause people to do in each passage?
» How does each of these actions demonstrate providing the “bread of life”?
» What relevance do you think these passages have to people today who lack food
and water?
3. Read John 6:48-51.
Consider how the Scripture passage might help you in your efforts to help
communities gain access to the food and water they need to nourish body and soul.
Could you understand what these passages truly mean if your hunger and thirst here
on earth were never filled? Jot down your thoughts.
Communities Transformed: Lesson Two | Page 23
C o n s i d er Our Wo rld To day
1. Read this information about the availability of water and food in our
world today:
Water
Throughout the developing world, women spend hours each day walking to
a stream or lake to retrieve water for their family’s needs. Yet even after their
arduous work, this water is polluted by:
As many as half of the
world’s hospital beds are
occupied by people with a
water-related illness.
» People bathing in it.
» Parasites, bugs, and germs that live in the water.
» People washing their clothes in it.
» Animals wading in and drinking the water.
» Contaminated jugs used to carry the water.
» Lack of proper sanitation that causes streams to become “toilets.”
The problem of water safety is so widespread that The Washington Post
reported 1.2 billion people use a water source that is filled with deadly
bacteria, parasites, and waterborne diseases. As many as half of the world’s
hospital beds are occupied by people with a water-related illness.
Many people who rely on polluted water do not understand the risks it carries
or how to purify the water. They also do not have access to wells and other
sources of water closer to home that might eliminate the need for using the
polluted sources.
David du Chemin/ World Vision 2007
Food
Hunger is not a new problem. It has traditionally risen in countries that
experience war (farmers are not able to tend to their crops as needed) and
weather problems such as drought and flooding.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), world food prices have been rising steadily since 2002,
with a dramatic upturn in 2007. Food prices have risen 83 percent since
2005—jumping 47 percent between January 2007 and January 2008 alone.
Sharp increases in the prices of cereals, dairy, rice, soybeans, vegetable oils,
and, to a lesser extent, meat and sugar have directly impacted the prices
of food products on grocery shelves and in small marketplaces around the
world. Imagine what that means for someone who was already struggling to
feed his or her family. Today there are as many as 37 countries around the
world that are in desperate need of food.
The causes of rising food costs and diminishing food supplies are complex,
but the reality for families affected by shortages of staple foods is simple and
harsh. As food prices increase, standards of living decrease. Malnourishment
Communities Transformed: Lesson Two | Page 24
and starvation become real possibilities, and families are forced to make
difficult choices. The United Nations reported that one out of four children
in developing countries is underweight, and some 350 million to 400
million children are hungry. The World Food Program reports hunger and
malnutrition as the number one risk to health globally, greater than AIDS,
malaria, and tuberculosis combined.
For vulnerable children, lack of food can lead to:
» Riots and social unrest.
» Children leaving school to scavenge for food or to seek work.
» Early forced marriage.
» Permanent damaged health.
» Sexual and labor abuse.
» Loss of basic rights.
In the United States, the effects of rising food prices, while far less critical,
are also being felt. Some companies have announced an increase in the
price of bread to compensate for rising wheat prices. Higher fuel prices are
expected to push up the prices of fruits and vegetables that are transported
long distances to markets. Food banks across the country are receiving fewer
donations of certain surplus food items from grocery chains, such as cheese,
yogurt, eggs, and meat. At the same time, they anticipate an increase in
demand as low-income Americans struggle to pay higher grocery bills.
Access to water may
be the biggest issue of
the 21st century.
One issue that affects the hungry everywhere in the world is climate
change. Increasingly damaging storms cycle with droughts and erratic
rainfall, wreaking havoc for farmers around the world. In addition, forests
are disappearing at unprecedented rates, displacing indigenous peoples.
Fisheries have collapsed in coastal communities, leaving people hungry and
unemployed. Access to water may be the biggest issue of the 21st century.
Jus tin Douglas s/World Vis ion 2009
The increasing awareness about environmental problems on our planet
has created a high demand for alternative energy sources. One of those
sources is biofuels, which are made from farm products like corn. It can
be more profitable for farmers to grow crops for biofuels than for human
consumption. In 2008, an estimated 30 percent of U.S. corn production
was used to make ethanol. While an alternative to gasoline, an unintended
consequence is increased demand for corn and, therefore, higher prices
for those who subsist on corn. Once again, the most vulnerable are
disproportionately affected.
As the search for solutions to climate change continues, we are called to
consider the wide-reaching effects of the issue on the most vulnerable.
Communities Transformed: Lesson Two | Page 25
2. Consider the problems and consequences related to water and food. Share or
journal how you have seen these issues play out in your community or in places you
have visited.
Nearly two out of every
10 fellow human beings
have little choice but
to resort to using
potentially harmful
sources of water.
Water and food are not abundantly available in many communities around the
world like they are in U.S. communities. Most of us can turn on a tap and get clean
water. We can go to the grocery store and choose whatever food we want. For most
Americans, finding the nourishment our bodies need isn’t difficult.
Yet water is essential for life. Anyone who farms or grows a garden can share the
impact rain or lack thereof has on crops. Water is crucial for sustainable development,
including the preservation of our natural resources and the alleviation of poverty and
hunger. The United Nations says nearly two out of every 10 fellow human beings have
little choice but to resort to using potentially harmful sources of water.
The Environmental News Service reported that as many as 5 million people die
every year of water-related illnesses. For children, that risk is especially high. Water
Partners International says a child dies every 15 seconds of a waterborne disease.
The World Food Program reports that almost one in seven people (854
million) worldwide do not have enough food to sustain them. This chronic
undernourishment feeds a never-ending cycle of disease, stunted growth, delayed
development, and poverty.
Andrew Goodwin /World V ision 2009
About 25,000 people die each day of hunger or related causes—this is 9 million
people per year. Yet the world produces enough food for everyone to have 2,500
calories a day.
Cho o s e a Pers o nal Res p o ns e 1. Read John 6:48-51 again. Considering what you have learned about the food and
water challenges of people around the world, what do you think their reaction might
be to the passage?
Communities Transformed: Lesson Two | Page 26
C lo s i ng Prayer
1. Offer a prayer for all those who are in a position to provide food and clean water
to those in need. Challenge yourself to eat one simple meal this week in solidarity
with your brothers and sisters who are hungry.
H o m ewo rk fo r Next Ses s io n
All resources are available at womenofvision.wordpress.com/hotm.
1. Read the handout “Lonica’s Story.”
2. Visit www.endmalaria.org and learn about malaria. Consider donating an
insecticide-treated bed net to prevent a child’s death.
3. Journal about experiences you’ve had with people who are HIV-positive or
have AIDS. If you have not encountered someone in this condition, have you ever
encountered someone with an illness or disability that might put him or her at the
same disadvantage as a person with HIV or AIDS?
+
For F urt her St udy
Pau l B ettings/ World Vis ion 2009
»R
ead John 4:1-27 and reflect on the cultural issues and access issues in the story
that are similar today.
»R
ead Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman.
Communities Transformed: Lesson Two | Page 27
Lesson Two Handout
Lonica’s Story
By Claudina Lembe, World Vision communicator
In Mozambique, endemic malaria is responsible for 30 percent of hospital deaths,
60 percent of hospitalized children, and 40 percent of outpatient consultations. Poor
communities are now fighting back with support from World Vision in the form of
life-saving mosquito nets.
Eleven-year-old Lonica has been closer to death than many girls her age in Lifidzi
village, in the central province of Tete. On two consecutive occasions she had to be
hospitalized for urgent treatment due to malaria—one of Mozambique’s main killer
diseases. That was, however, before she received a mosquito net.
BELOW: Lokol, a boy
in Kenya, sleeps under
a mosquito net.
jon warren/world vision 2008
Lonica’s father, Jamiti Came, is a visibly relieved man. When asked about malaria,
he said: “I received two mosquito nets in September 2008. From then, none of my
children had gone to hospital because of malaria, and it was so frequent to take
them there.”
Lonica tells her story: “I started going to school very late because I usually got sick
and my parents did not know what it was. They took me to [the] hospital and there
the nurse told us that it was malaria.” Lonica looks around and then longingly looks
at her mum. “I was in-patient, twice at the post health. My mother was crying,
because if were not me at the hospital were my brothers who were in the hospital. . . .
Life was very difficult for my mother.”
So what has changed since then? “Dad sets up for us
the mosquito net every night and all of us, my two
brothers and two sisters, sleep under it very peacefully! No more mosquito bites. Good
riddance, malaria!”
Then, like any other 11-year-old girl, she does what
she likes doing best when not in school. She goes
and plays with her friends, grateful for the lifesaving mosquito net she has at home.
Communities Transformed: Lesson Three: Handout | Page 28