If You Feed Them

The Shoestring Conspiracy

“If You Feed Them, They Will Come”

Food is a universal common denominator among humans. We all need it and most of us enjoy it. For centuries, people have gathered around meals as a medium for social interaction and a way of demonstrating love and friendship. In the New Testament, food is associated with fellowship, thanksgiving, ministry to human need, and symbolism. Fellowship meals, food distribution, outreach events, block parties, and soup kitchens all have their places in the history of the Kingdom of God.

There are “purists” in the kingdom camp who believe that people should “come to church” without needing incentives such as mashed potatoes and chicken. There are those who question the “motives” of families who only call the church when they need groceries in an emergency.

The pattern of Jesus is honesty in this regard. He does not ask us to examine the motives of others, but our own—to search deeper and to sense the more profound hunger within our souls for spiritual truth and nourishment.

But His example and command always involved feeding the hunger of people, meeting them where they were and taking them to the next level. That is the strategy that I believe is both biblical and practical—connecting with human need, real and perceived, and allowing God to touch the hearts of people as they come into contact with them through us. We must give with no thought of return and serve with no requirement of gratitude or reward. It is the Jesus way.