Meals of Hope
Good Morning Friends,
The story of the Taste of Immokalee has yet to be fully written but even the thought of it, if one understands it, suggests the full possibility that beyond the American Dream is the Kingdom of God…the New Jerusalem and that it is not to be so much for the privileged, but more a comfort for the homeless, a welcome to the stranger, a hope of the possibility for the poor who seek a better life… to see it happen. I have often said that Immokalee is the Ellis Island of Florida. And what greets the immigrant here is not so much Lady Liberty with a tomato, for that is already in the Smithsonian, but the Lady of Guadalupe, the mother of Jesus… So today we contemplate the Jesus who started his liberating ministry of justice, love, kindness and humility by quoting the today’s words of scripture for the poor from the prophet of hope but perhaps envisioning the possibility of Fields of Hope through Meals of Hope.
Scripture: The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion — to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
Isaiah 61:1-4 (NRSV)
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23 (NRSV)
God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so.
Genesis 1:29-30 (NRSV)
Message: Over the last year, a group of Immokalee high school students, with the help of professional mentors from One by One Leadership Foundation, started their own food line and business — Taste of Immokalee. So far they have developed four products; a spice mix, a fire roasted tomato and jalapeño sauce, an Immokalee hamburger and orange zest chocolate chip cookies.
You can read more about it at: http://shar.es/1X4UTl
They continue to meet on issues of sustainability and the environment for they sense the complexity of the connections. So with those events in mind the message therefor is about the hope of transformation but also how hope transforms in and of itself. It is also a wish that our freedom would be connected to His freedom. On this Christ the King Sunday, on the verge of Thanksgiving week, we have a message of Good News for the poor from Isaiah and Jesus against the backdrop of the work of migrant youth yearning to be free and testing the possibility of the American Dream. Here we might well discover that the Good News it is not limited to those in financial poverty but for anyone who has not yet found their riches in Christ Jesus and yes for those who believe but need reassurance. Here as we await the King’s return we might just experience the enlightenment, encouragement, escape, exchange, establishment, exaltation and example of the Holy Spirit welcoming us to new shores to taste something old and something new….to invest the talents we have been given for a return that can be shared.
Pray we repent for the King may return soon. Pray we share the good news of transformation in Christ to the poor. Pray we realize that the poor are more than those who live in human poverty but also the wise and the great, the good and the bad and the financially rich too, for God loves them all. Pray we realize that there can be spiritual and relational poverty that keeps us from enjoying our freedom as well as physical and financial poverty that captures most of our attention. Pray for the leaders of our nation, the leaders of our churches and the leader in each of us. Pray that we might be free…free indeed. Pray that we follow God’s call to welcome the needy. Pray we recognize our own poverty and weep in it. Pray we realize that we cannot hope to change the political, economic or social conditions of people by merely giving them a better education or begrudgingly welcoming them to our shores. Pray we realize that the lasting legacy is in building up His Kingdom and righteousness for the greater glory in the transformational power of God. Pray we make a commitment putting our talents and abilities to work. Pray we not become a nation of heretics trapped in our own consumerism but freed to add value to what we have been given.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 