I am not a fan of “found footage” films.  If you are not familiar with the genre, they are movies like Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project.  The reason why is the running around with the camera bouncing all over the place or at weird angles is too distracting for my finely honed attention span.  I like things that have high quality production value with great angles of the action – think Mission Impossible movies.  I mention this because Clarkson’s Farm is a high-quality product.  There isn’t anything shoddy about the show, its content, or production quality and that is because Jeremy Clarkson isn’t just a farmer, he is a media personality. 

If you take several minutes to read his biography on Wikipedia, you will discover that Clarkson has an extensive background in media.  He has done several television programs, continues to write columns for various newspapers and magazines, and has even written a few books.  In the media world, he knows exactly what he is doing.  In the farming world, he is learning and I think he is learning for a reason.  Not to prove that he can farm, but to, for once in his life, participate in a noble pursuit which is to feed the world.  That is what farmers do.  They till, they plant, they tend, and then they harvest the yield to do it all the next year.  This is not done for self-gratification.  Rather, it is a noble use of time – producing crops that go into the global food supply.

Not long after Jesus’ ministry went public, he quickly amassed a great crowd that followed him.  They saw firsthand the power that he had to feed the hungry, heal the sick, cast out demons, and bring the dead back to life.  But you can imagine how daunting it must have been for one person to have so many people seeking life-changing action.  Jesus had compassion for them and because of that saw the opportunity as well.  He had the insight to appoint 12 men, share with them his literal power and authority, and then send them out to replicate his ministry.  His purpose was to cure the “hunger” of the crowd and that became the purpose of his apostles.

The world continues to be a place plagued with hunger.  People hunger for meaning.  People are hungry for authentic relationships.  People hunger for healing and liberation.  The “harvest” is still plentiful, and the “laborers” continue to be few.  The church has a great opportunity before it – to heed God’s continuing call to go into the world and feed its’ needs with the nourishing and life-giving love of God.  If only we will listen to God’s call to go.

I invite you to take time and read each of the scriptures above followed by reflection on the questions below.  Consider the breadth of the “harvest” that still exists and the need for laborers to go into the “fields.”  Lastly, I pray that God bless the reading of God’s Word and the meditations of your heart.

Questions to Consider this week:

• Monday:  What is the hunger inside of you that Jesus is addressing?
• Tuesday:  What are your friends and family members hungering for in their lives?
• Wednesday:  What are some of the global or universal things that humans are hungering for today?
• Thursday:  How is God providing “food” for the masses today?
• Friday:  How does God want to use you to help bring in the plentiful harvest?
• Saturday:  How is God addressing your hunger today?

Actions for the Week:

• Head:  Define the hunger that is around you and within you.
• Heart:  Believe that God has the power to still feed the hungry as well as the power to address your hunger.
• Hand:  Yield to God’s invitation to go into the field that is your neighbor and participate in feeding the needs of your neighbors.