This piece originally appeared on Agri-Pulse.
Editor's note: Agri-Pulse and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs are teaming up to host a monthly column to explore how the U.S. agriculture and food sector can maintain its competitive edge and advance food security in an increasingly integrated and dynamic world.
By John Crosby, senior pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church, Edina, Minnesota
“Give them something to eat,” Jesus said. As a pastor, I'm struck by these well-known words, spoken to disciples who were at a loss how to respond to thousands growing hungry in their midst. They wanted to send the crowds away, to fend for themselves, but Jesus commanded a different response. “Give them something to eat,” he said, knowing full well there wasn't enough for everyone. Still, somehow, the great Miracle-Worker multiplied their meal, and what began as five loaves of bread and two fish became full stomachs and twelve baskets of leftovers for over 5000. Compassion created abundance rather than scarcity, and those with resources were invited - challenged - to participate in meeting the needs of those with none.
With a congregation in the heart of the “nation's breadbasket,” I am profoundly aware of the foundational role that food plays in all aspects of life regardless of where one lives. Food and agriculture sectors in the U.S. fosters vibrant and strong communities domestically, providing jobs and economic opportunities for our families. Internationally, agriculture remains the economic backbone for many, but when harvests fall short - Americans unerringly meet desperate need with support. The food assistance our nation provides nourishes and strengthens the bodies of vulnerable children and their own families, and just as with the miraculous “feeding of the 5,000,” compassion has a mysterious way of producing abundance for all of us.