I was picking up my kids from school this week and I was excited to see them. It had been a particularly busy and productive day and I missed them. I always look forward to hearing about their day, listening to their stories, and watching them interact with each other as we drive home and transition into our nighttime routine. But when I picked up my kids, their personalities had magically changed into cranky, whiny monsters and I was a bit overwhelmed. One child was mad that I picked them up too early, another one was angry that it wasn’t a swim lesson day, and the last one didn’t make any friends at camp and obviously that was my fault.
Then I gave them all a snack, and suddenly, they weren’t as mean to me. It happened gradually, but the drive home felt less like the fiery pits of hell and more calm, even if I was still on guard.
It got me thinking about being HANGRY. You know this term, angry because you are hungry; it happens to the best of us. And boy, oh boy, was it my reality that afternoon. My kids were deregulated, overstimulated, and just plain hungry. And it gave new meaning to the spiritual hunger I see every day.
I am convinced that the anger and frustration and whininess that we see in our world, and especially in our leaders, comes from a deep spiritual starvation. We were created for God’s nourishment, God’s food, God’s sustenance and we have traded it for a cheap substitute.
It gives new meaning to the story of the feeding of the 5,000, although we know that only men were counted, because women and children were often overlooked and so, best estimates put the crowd, that day on the mountain side around 15-20,000 people that had listened all day and were now hungry. The disciples looked to Jesus for the answer, but he gave it right back to them. The versions differ in all four Gospels, but in Luke, chapter 6, he tells his disciples, “Give them something to eat.” Was Jesus only talking about literal food, or something deeper, something more sustaining?
I wonder what the Kingdom of God would look like if we met the cranky, whiny, emotional people we encounter on a daily basis and assume that they are at various stages of being HANGRY and then work to feed them. Maybe we actually feed them, like many of you have done through the Family Promise ministry. Maybe they need emotional food and those of you that are Care Partners and Prayer Warriors have given emotional food through your cards, love and support. And maybe too, those that are the most frustrating to be around need the Spiritual food of God’s grace. It could be that they need just a snack, to knock it off. Don’t get me wrong, some people need way more than a snack, but what if all we had to offer was a small appetizer of God’s grace? For instance, it wouldn’t take much to offer a smile, a shift in perspective, a hug, a listening ear, an invite to coffee, an extra three minutes of your time, a prayer. All of these things don’t cost us anything other than being present and expecting the Holy Spirit to show up.
What do you think? Who is HANGRY in your community? May this be an encouragement to you. And if it is you, if you are HANGRY, get yourself a snack. Or better yet, give some food to someone else and see what God does with a rumbly tummy and a new outlook.
AMEN