Biblical Reflection
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul uses the analogy of the human body to describe how different people, gifts, and parts of the church are dependent upon each other. Most of us can easily appreciate the human body as a multi-faceted system, where the parts differ but need and depend upon each other. When one part of the body feels bad, the whole body usually needs to slow down, but when all parts of the body are in good condition and working well together, the body can do amazing things.
While Paul was speaking about the church and the variety of gifts from the Holy Spirit, this image of interdependency is also illuminating when talking about groups and nations.
Reflection Questions
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Think of a group of people—a human system—that is familiar to you. How does the group function when everyone is well and happy? How does it function when members are sick, angry, unhappy, or working at cross purposes with each other?
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What do you think God wants for that group of people?
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Can you imagine some ways that these same principles are at work within a developing nation?
Hunger Report Theme Summary
The Millennium Development Goals address a set of challenges that stem directly from hunger and poverty (see Box in Session 1). Development assistance that reduces hunger and poverty will support progress on multiple goals. This session offers opportunities to reflect on why it is important to think comprehensively about development, and how U.S. development assistance can help developing countries implement strategies to tackle interrelated issues, such as improving nutrition, supporting rural agriculture and the needs of small-scale farmers, strengthening safety nets, and reducing gender inequality.
Discussion Questions
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How might improving education in a developing country empower that country’s women, support its rural farmers, and improve nutrition?
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How might improving transportation systems in a developing country accomplish the same things?
Activities
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Feed the Future, the new U.S. global hunger and food security initiative, emphasizes taking a comprehensive approach to fighting hunger and malnutrition. Review Figure 1.1. See if your group can imagine foreign assistance actions that would connect each of the three “areas of potential investment” with the priorities listed above it on the chart.
Figure 4.2 on page 112 illustrates relationships among the causes of maternal and child malnutrition. How do you imagine Feed the Future can respond to those factors?
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Read the article on page 8 in which Kathleen Kurz discusses the importance of nutrition in all U.S. foreign assistance. From this article and your other reading, make a list of development policies and programs that could reduce and prevent malnutrition. Identify the policies you believe would be easiest to implement. Identify those you believe would be hardest to implement. Why did you make the choices you did?
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As you conclude, pray for efforts to support sustainable development and consider if there is something God might be calling you to do as a result of this conversation.
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