Mercy: Day 2 – Hunger
Its now 1 PM and my stomach starts to grumble. I feel hungry but I am in the middle of only the second day of fasting. Its now that most will start to feel the change of the eating pattern. That is okay, I can push through. Its now 4 PM and the grumbles return, but I ignore them. I start to wonder what it must be like for some one who is under fed, someone who feels like this all the time. It is an unsettling feeling.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing of God upon him, said “Those who are merciful will have mercy shown to them by the most Merciful. Show mercy to those who are on the Earth and The One who is in heaven will show mercy on you”. Those are powerful words, and to be reminded of this during these first 10 days of Ramadan, during the days of mercy resonate within me.
My hunger will subside when the sun goes down, but for millions, and maybe for even more, around the globe they will go to sleep hungry, wake up hungry and live their days hungry. At the same time we walk into a super market and find an unimaginable abundance of food that if it is not sold with in a week’s time is thrown out in the garbage!
I remember growing up and watching my neighbor hauling out boxes of produce from his truck that he salvaged from the supermarket garbage bin. It was perfectly good food except it came out of a garbage bin.
When I was studying in graduate school at Stanford University, I would love to go into the library and read up on all the various subjects that interested me outside of engineering. Once I was in the government documents library and ran across a United Nations report on hunger. It was noted in a study conducted back in 1980 that if the United States would give just 2% of the excess wheat that it dumps into the ocean to keep wheat prices high, they could wipe out world famine! TWO PERCENT of the EXCESS! I was beside myself to say the least.
There is no mercy being on the receiving end of hunger. There is however great mercy for the one who puts him or her self through hunger voluntarily to know what it means and then does something about it to alleviate it from others. Showing mercy to others produces a multiplicity effect that continues to grow.
On Saturday, August 15th, 2010 a local charitable foundation and food bank, Rahima Foundation will be conducting their 7th annual Human Dignity Day by feeding the homeless in San Jose, CA. They are looking for volunteers and it is a wonderful way to help show mercy to those who need mercy.
Giving is Good.
Till tomorrow, Peace.
