This series on Hidden Hunger ran in June 2023. Inspired by the work and leadership of Bread for the World and ahead of the Farm Bill vote in September 2023, our hope is to raise awareness about the ways hunger shows up in different communities. These contributors help us think through the complex issue of food insecurity in a myriad of ways: scriptural reflection, a glimpse into food insecurity on college campuses, an exploration of COVID’s effects on hidden hunger, reflection on the hiddenness of global hunger issues from the vantage point of the United States, and some suggestions on how faith communities might practically engage food insecurity in their neighborhoods.
How Hunger Hides in Plain Sight in the United States
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto
More than enough food is currently produced to cover the hunger gap around the globe. Yet hungry people exist in many communities. When people see that, they wonder if God keeps God’s promises. After all, Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about what they’ll eat because God provides (Matthew 6:28-33). So why are there so many people in the world?
Read more here.
How Hunger Hides on College Campuses in the U.S.
By Julie Golingan Roberts
Many people will fondly remember the summer of 2021 as their “hot-vaxxed summer”: COVID-19 vaccines became more widely available, and thus a semblance of freedom and fun not felt for over a year was finally within reach. My “hot-vaxxed summer” consisted of reviewing countless articles, research, and data about food insecurity among college students.
Read more here.
How the COVID Pandemic Exposed America’s Hunger Problem
By Sarah String
I remember in the early days of the pandemic, when it felt like the Hunger Games just going grocery shopping and supply chain delays caused shortages and long wait times for some grocery stores items. Panic set in, making the shortages worse as people stockpiled toilet paper, water, and pantry items—that is, those who could afford to do so.
Read more here.
What the Bible Says About Hunger
By Nancy Neal
“This is my body, broken for you. This is the cup of the new covenant, sealed in my blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins.”
As Christians, we say some version of these words as we gather around a table to remember Jesus’ saving death and resurrection…
Read more here.
The Worst Famine Today Is Largely Out of Sight, Out of Mind
By Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon and Dr. Benjamin Norquist
One of the most devastating food crises in the world is mainly out-of-sight-out-of-mind for Americans. Most Americans probably could not easily find Yemen on a map, let alone know about the devastating impact of ongoing war and civil violence…
Read more here.
20 Minute Takes Podcast: Jeremy Everett & Hidden Hunger
On this episode, we chat with Jeremy Everett. He’s the Executive Director of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, as well as the author of the book “I Was Hungry: Cultivating Common Ground to End an American Crisis.” We talk with him about the state of food insecurity in the United States, who it affects, and how churches and faith communities might begin to engage creatively with this solvable problem.
Listen here.
