Hunger

I live in Africa. Every kid in America knows it as the place with starving children who would love to eat their vegetables. Naturally there is some truth to that stereotype, particularly in certain African countries, but the people of Botswana don't generally go hungry or face the threat of starvation. Not physically at least...

Like anywhere in our fallen world there is spiritual hunger here. Like anywhere in our fallen world it is often fed with false religions and lusts of the flesh. And like anywhere in our fallen world the bread of life is still available for all who will come and partake. All of us have that "God sized hole" in our hearts that nothing but Christ can fill, and yet I believe that even with Christ we are still hungry - at least we should be. Just as physical hunger of the stomach returns every so often once the most recent meal has been digested, our spiritual hunger for God's word and His presence should start to gnaw at us if we go too long without feeding it. 

The flight schedules here in Maun are busiest between 9 AM and 4 PM and I regularly have back to back to back flights during that seven hour period. I don't mind the work or the flight hours, but as I was first settling into such a daily schedule, my stomach complained. There is no time to eat lunch when you fly like that. Occasionally you can sneak in a sandwich in-flight if you have an empty leg and remembered to pack one, but eating with passengers on board is both rude, unprofessional, and dangerous to any weak stomachs onboard that might catch a whiff of the food's scent. So I have gotten used to only eating two meals a day for the most part. It isn't a bad thing. I still weigh the same amount as I did six years ago when I left home for college. I have gotten used to it so much that my stomach has given up grumbling around midday. And therein lies the danger. If we quench our conscience and the hunger pangs of our spirit enough times we may eventually lose them. We may grow accustomed to the new normal of a dry spiritual life and fail to yearn, desire, and hunger for the bread and water of life. And that is a bad thing. 

So as I sit here slurping down spaghetti noodles and smacking on some well seasoned butternut squash, the delicious food reminds me of what I was missing out on all day long. As I read and ponder the Words of Life from my Bible tonight before bed, the delight that it brings my heart and the fruit that it bears in my life will remind me of the importance of keeping a steady diet of scripture flowing to my soul. 

Starving children would love to eat your leftover vegetables. Dying souls would love to know the truth about life in Christ.