‘Food glorious food’ …. goes the song from Oliver Twist, the musical film about an orphan boy who meets up with a scoundrel and ends up living in a house for boys, and thieving for their master. In one scene this young boy has the audacity to say “Please sir, can I have some more ?” – the cry of hunger down the ages.
Based on a work by Charles Dickens, it is set in London, in times of dire poverty. Its one of those musicals that seems to live on forever in the memory.
The song makes the point of how important food is to us. If there is such a thing as an ultimate human experience, it is the taste of glorious food. Apart from the fact that it gives us a feeling of well- being, nourishes our bodies, it fills our souls with satisfaction. Food is essential for us to survive, on more than one level.
While most of us eat to live, there are some that live to eat. Have you noticed the bombardment of foodie type TV programmes. Everyone seems to have become a cook !
Someone once asked ‘where have all the cowboys gone?’ Men use to be about the business of plowing planting constructing and mining – earning a living by the sweat of their brow – now they all seem to be in the kitchen – cooking !
Of course food is big business – big business. Perhaps because it tantalises our taste buds, stirs our appetites, that scream for instant satisfaction. It is psychologically and sublimely used in advertisements to get us to buy buy buy! And we do !
The burger seemingly has become the ‘king of foods’. We watch some of the TV programmes, and I am amazed at the length they go to to make the best burger ever.
Smoking, slow cooking meat, spiced to the hilt, sauced up and piled up with pickles and garnishes. Some are spectacular and no doubt delicious indeed. But the extravagance of some borders on sheer gluttony. The world seems to have gone crazy about extravagant food. And I wonder if we haven’t lost something in our ‘elevated status’ of living.
None the less good food is a delight, and healthy food is a blessing.
Although most seem to be on the ‘food glorious food bandwagon’ it ought to be coupled with a balance and a consideration for those who do not have enough food to eat.
More can and should be done by those who can, to give food to those who go without. We shouldn’t be so self absorbed, as to blight out the world’s hunger problem.
World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honour of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in 1945 At the 20th session of the FAO Conference, the idea was suggested of celebrating World Food Day worldwide. It has since been observed every year in more than 150 countries, raising awareness of the issues behind poverty and hunger.
Ref : Wikipedia.org/wiki/world food dayOn another site, I read
The focus of the day is that food is a basic human right. Yet in a worldwide of billions, over 820 million people worldwide suffer chronic undernourishment, 60% women and almost five million children under the age of five die of malnutrition related courses every day.
It is also important to note that while millions go hungry 672 million people suffer from obesity and a further 1.3 billion are overweight.
Ref : greening the blue.org/event/world-food day.
Statistics are fine, and give a glimmer of the problem of world hunger, but stats distance themselves from the real reality of hunger.
The explosion of Urban populations, because of unemployment, poor governance, migrations and such like, have brought the problem of hunger closer to the cities, closer to us, more than stats could do. Social and rural development need urgent attention.
When unemployment hits home, perhaps more will be done in this area.
Recently, here was talk of the Banks going on strike ! The Banks striking – unheard of before ! All because of the digital technology age, that is threatening massive unemployment. The closing of some mines, means thousands of breadwinners will be out of work. One man interviewed said he was responsible for 16 mouths to feed in his camp.
When there is no work, there is no pay, people go hungry, and so crime will increase.
It seems an overwhelming vicious circle, that needs intervention.
One such intervention could be Governments introducing, insisting and assisting in implementing community and home food gardens. Active citizen participation.
The growing of healthy food.
These reminders from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations are all good and well, and bring attention to global problems, that seem to be on the increase. But we are part of this world, even at the local level, and should keep an eye open for those who are hungry and in need.
Psalm 34:8 says Taste and see that the Lord is good.
If there is one way to know the goodness of God it is through the food we put into our mouths. Food glorious food, it touches our souls and our senses, taste smell and is a delight to our eyes, for we instinctively know something good is coming.
So when we occasionally indulge ourselves in food glorious food, remember too, those who are hungry, and do a kind deed in multiply ways to ease their plight.
The next time we sit down to a hearty healthy meal, let’s remember those who are in poverty and often go to bed hungry. It will remind us to acknowledge and be thankful to God for His goodness to us, and to say a little prayer …. “For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful”.
CareSA 