World over we are facing difficult times: economic downturn; political uncertainty and a prevalent cultural of self-gratification. Humanity is losing the human touch and community is no longer something that people value or have access too. This isn’t something that should really surprise us though, as Jesus told us that in the last days the love of many would grow cold (Matthew 24:12). Many people get quite worked up over the idea of the last days but Jesus talked about these being the end times so that we would keep our eyes on heavenly values rather than getting caught up in the material and service of self.
This year we started a foodbank here at Cornerstone Shotts and its been a really incredible journey. Just watching God open up doors of provision and the massive positive impact it is having has been mind-blowing. Within weeks of starting we had several local churches on board to gather food, multiple supermarkets ready to lend a hand along with help from a larger foodbank that works in a nearby town. Through simply being available to those in need we’ve had chances to meet new people, pray with and council folks, as well as just generally share the love of God in a very practical and real way.
We keep the food in a storeroom and organise the donations into parcels that hold about a weeks food. It requires a bit of running around to facilitate, but the smiles, tears and thankful hearts are more than worth the effort it takes to run. Putting others first in a me-first world is challenging but the needs aren’t going away without God’s intervention. He calls us to be His hands and feet, sharing His love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a hurting world.