Hunger Map
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president
Have you ever looked at a hunger map?
It is a map of the world that shows where there is the most hunger for food and the percentage of people in that part of the world who are undernourished. When I looked at it and saw a place where 35% of the people in that region go hungry every single day, it was a sobering moment.
There are places of plenty that also have percentages of people that go hungry every single day. There are places in South America that have areas where 25-35% of the population is hungry and places in Africa where 35% of the population is hungry. In contrast, some places like the United States whose hunger rate is 2.5%.
But with a population of 332 million people, that still means that well over 800,000 people in our territory go hungry every single day.
Matthew 24:7 states clearly that one of the signs at the end of time is an increase of famines. We clearly see that in our world today. Sometimes food shortages are due to weather and other times due to human war and strife, but the result is the same: people are physically hungry.
There is another hunger map that is part of the last day prophecies.
It is a hunger—or at least a need to know—a personal God who can fill the God-sized void we all have in our lives. There is a map of the world that has an area called the 10-40 window, which is home to approximately two thirds of the world’s population live. It is also marked with poverty and a low quality of life. Very few of the people that live in that area know about Jesus. Many mission efforts have been focused on that area of the world.
Matthew 24:14 states what I believe to be one of the great prophecies of the end times.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.
The spiritual hunger map also needs to be addressed both on a world-wide scale and in every single neighborhood in our territory. While we may have many who have heard about Jesus, it doesn’t mean that the God-sized hole in each person has been filled.
This week, take a look at a little map of your neighborhood and think about each person that lives in the spaces close to you. What are they hungry for? How can you help them? What are the ways that you can help them grow spiritually and to see the light of Jesus in your life? Take time this week to help fill the void that others may feel for God. Taking action will help to fulfill the prophetic words of Jesus, and we could see Jesus come soon.