if you were hungry, would you steal food?

A while back I posed this question to staff teams in Africa - if you were hungry, would you steal food? Their answer surprised and inspired me.

Unanimously they said, "no." I can't say with such confidence and conviction that I wouldn't steal if I had a family to feed. I might steal. I am quite certain I would seriously consider stealing warm bread for my family. With conviction, those around me (who have seen more poverty than I could imagine) said, "no, stealing isn't the cure to hunger." So, what is? Faith, they said.

Faith? They proceeded to tell me miraculous stories of God's provision in times of trouble, stories about the generosity of strangers and the compassion of a loving God.

God says we shouldn't worry about these things, that He will provide what we need. (Matt 6:25-34) I struggle believing that day-to-day.

Last week I was meeting with a women's group in a community that has taken up residence in shacks surrounding the city dump. They make money by collecting trash and trading that in for pennies at the recycling center. I've seen people like this collecting items around town. I usually hand them my empty water bottle, or when I take my trash to the curb I place the items of interest to the side so they can be easily picked up rather than sift through my rubbish. One of the churches we work with in town has begun ministering to this community, with these women.

During our visit, without prompting, they started talking about how God has impacted their life. They told stories of what their life was like before knowing Christ and what it is like now. These were incredible stories of faith and God's provision. These stories were told with overwhelming gratitude. But why? Aren't they still poor living beside a trash dump and collecting what other people (like myself) discard in order to gain a measly wage? Yes. Again, I was surprised and inspired. These ladies are assured there is a God in heaven who cares for them.

I hope that if I were hungry, rather than steal food, I would be able to trust the living God to meet my daily needs. I hope I could have just a fraction of the faith of these people. I am not sure I could be so courageous.

What about you? If you were hungry, would you steal food?