The LuLac Edition #5,038, December 6th, 2023

 WRITE ON WEDNESDAY 

Our "Write On Wednesday" logo 

This week we share an incredible, well thought out editorial on charity toward all during this holiday season  

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO FEED THE POOR 

We’re going to start today’s editorial with some thoughts about fish.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

The origins of that famous proverb are much disputed. Some say it came from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. Others have suggested its roots are Native American, medieval European, or Biblical.

Wherever it originated, the saying holds a kernel of truth. But like many truths, it has often been used to fit contrasting narratives.

The most obvious, perhaps, is that imparting life skills will be more beneficial to the recipient in the long run than merely giving them food, money or material goods.

The “bootstrappers” of the world, who will find any excuse not to help the needy, often interpret this as license to be stingy, arguing that handouts make people lazy. Sadly, many of these same folks are equally stingy when it comes to providing the life skills necessary to earn a living — notably public education — or the living wages necessary to support themselves and their families in exchange for honest work.

You know the arguments: If they’re poor, they did it to themselves; nobody wants to work anymore; our immigrant ancestors succeeded in America without welfare, and so on.

Which brings us back to fish.

Of all the miracles attributed to Jesus Christ, only one — aside from the resurrection itself — appears in all four gospels: The miracle of the loaves and fishes.

When a crowd of thousands gathers to hear Jesus speak in a remote place, the disciples tell him they are unable to feed everyone. They find a small boy with five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus says, “bring them here,” and instructs the people to sit down on the grass. He then feeds about 5,000 people, with 12 baskets of food left over.

At no point did Jesus distinguish between the worthy or the unworthy. At no point did he castigate people for being lazy. Rather, this is the same man who, in a separate context, said, “The poor you will always have with you.”

Again, some interpret this as an excuse to treat the poor as expendable. In a 2021 message for the World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis countered that view.

“The face of God revealed by Jesus is that of a Father concerned for and close to the poor,” he wrote. “In everything, Jesus teaches that poverty is not the result of fate, but a concrete sign pointing to his presence among us. We do not find him when and where we want, but see him in the lives of the poor, in their sufferings and needs, in the often inhuman conditions in which they are forced to live.”

 It’s a relevant question why a loving God would continue to allow such suffering, but the message of Jesus is clear: We have an obligation to do all we can to alleviate it. That is a deeply human message that should resonate with all people, whether they practice a religious faith or not.

Here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, there are people who live that message daily. We saw it on display during Thanksgiving week, but it is by no means confined to a few days per year.

 As reporter Bill O’Boyle described in the Thanksgiving Day edition, The Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) held their 44th annual Thanksgiving Project, providing food for a traditional holiday meal to 6,889 families, including nearly 3,000 elderly and more than 8,650 children. It is a major annual undertaking, but CEO works year-round to fight food insecurity in our communities, which has only become more of a challenge as food costs rise and economic instability grows.

CEO is not alone.

 As O’Boyle also reported, the Food Dignity movement, founded by Clancy Harrison, provides funds to farmers in Pennsylvania so they can produce food directly for hunger relief. Working with farmers and nonprofits, the group helps those in need obtain healthy, fresh food.

And, O’Boyle added, MamaBird, founded in 2022 by Melissa Obuch, began simply as a way to pay-it-forward to support the women and children of the Back Mountain. In one year, it has helped more than 800 local families by providing nearly $25,000 worth of diapers and feminine hygiene products.

On Thanksgiving Day, reporter Margaret Roarty visited the Forty Fort United Methodist Church and Saint Vincent De Paul Kitchen on West Jackson Street in Wilkes-Barre, two places where meals were being served. The soup kitchen, which operates year-round, saw an obvious uptick in numbers for the holiday.

And let us not forget Dinners For Kids, which recently held its annual fundraising gala. Established in 2011 by David and Edna Tevet, owners of Ollie’s Restaurant, the program now feeds up to 250 kids each week in the Wilkes-Barre, West Side and Dallas areas. “We could do 1,000,” board chair Bob Borwick said. “The need is so great.”

As Jesus said, the poor will always be with us. We praise those in our community who continue to recognize and serve their needs.

— Times Leader