Message: Feeding Hope / 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

About two hundred years ago, a French writer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.” He understood that food tells stories about who we are and where we come from. Food connects us to the land where the ingredients grow and to the markets where we shop. Food carries the memories of the kitchens we grew up in and the people who cooked for us with care and love. So, when we talk about food, it is not just about what we put on our plates. It is about our culture, our community, and the way we live.

Over time, people began to say it more simply: “You are what you eat.” But this phrase focuses more on health and well-being. It shows that what we eat has a direct effect on our body. Food does not stop at our stomachs. It becomes part of us. What we eat can either make us stronger or weaker. So, the saying “You are what you eat” encourages us to eat fresh food, avoid junk food, read labels carefully, and keep a healthy balance on our plates. Because what we take in eventually becomes part of who we are, our choices matter.

The same is true for our spiritual health. What we put into our hearts and minds shapes who we become. Just as our bodies need food to live, our souls need good nourishment to grow and stay healthy. The stories we believe, the words we say, and the practices we keep all feed our spirits. They can either give us life or take it away. The health of our inner life depends on what we take in each day through what we read, watch, listen to, and think about.

This is what the second reading today from 2 Timothy reminds us of. It says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for correcting, and for training in what is right, so that everyone who belongs to God may be ready for every good work.”

The Bible is more than a book about people from long ago. It is food for the soul. It gives us the nourishment we need to grow in wisdom and faith. Just as we need daily bread to live, we need the Word of God to keep our spirits awake, strong, and full of hope.

The Bible feeds us in many ways. It challenges us when we need to grow. It comforts us when we are hurting. It reminds us who we are and what truly matters in life. It teaches us to live with humility, patience, and compassion. In a world that often feeds us fear, anger, and division, the Word of God gives us something different. It offers us courage, love, and unity. When we open our hearts to it, we are feeding hope. This hope has the power to heal wounds, bring people together, and shine light into dark places.

What is most important is that through Scripture, we come to know Jesus Christ, who is the Living Word. In him, we find the true meaning of life and the path we are called to follow. Jesus showed us that every person is a beloved child of God. He reached out to those who were left out or pushed aside. He welcomed those who were hungry and thirsty. He shared meals with strangers, multiplied bread for the crowds, and sat with people who were lonely or forgotten. He taught his followers to pray for daily bread and to forgive others as they had been forgiven.

Jesus knew that food is never just food. It is communion. It is a way of connecting hearts and lives. In his hands, every meal became a sign of God’s dream. In the Bible, God never abandoned the hungry or the oppressed. God set the slaves free. God fed those who had nothing to eat with manna. God gave a pillar of cloud and fire to guide those who needed direction. God dreamed of a world where everyone belongs, where everyone has a place at the table, and where there is enough for all.

That is why the writer of 2 Timothy says Scripture is “useful for every good work.” The wisdom of the prophets strengthens our hearts and guides our conscience. The life of Jesus becomes a light for our path and a model for how we live. Engaging with the Bible is more than just thinking or studying. It is a spiritual act that feeds hope. This hope grows and begins to shape our thoughts, our choices, and our actions.

The Word feeds us so that we can feed others. It strengthens us so that we can strengthen others. It fills us with compassion so that we can become people who bring hope wherever we go. When we share a meal, offer food to someone in need, or make space for another person, we are showing a glimpse of God’s abundance.

Today, on World Food Sunday, we are invited to face the reality of hunger in our world. According to the United Nations, around 735 million people were undernourished in 2022, and about 2.4 billion people did not have regular access to safe and nutritious food. Here in Canada, about 18 percent of households, nearly 7 million people, experienced food insecurity in 2022. Food bank use reached a record high, with around 2 million visits in March 2024 alone. Indigenous and Northern communities face much higher rates, with more than half of Nunavut households struggling with food insecurity. These are not just numbers. They are our neighbours, our co-workers, our elders, and our children. Their hunger reflects the imbalance in our world.

When we feed our souls with Scripture, our desires begin to change. We start to want what Jesus wants. We begin to dream what God dreams. When we are fed by the Word, we feed hope. Then we raise deeper questions that lead to change: Why do so many go hungry in a world of plenty? Why do wages not cover the cost of living? Why do so many communities lack affordable, healthy food? 

True spiritual health does not accept that this is simply “the way things are.” It opens our eyes to see injustice and helps us imagine a better way, one that feeds hope rather than indifference or despair.

“You are what you eat.” If we keep feeding on fear, we will become harsh. If we feed on resentment, we will grow divided. But if we feed on the Word, on stories of hope, justice, and grace, we will begin to show those qualities in our lives. We will become people who notice those left out and make room for them. We will become a faith community that sees food not as a luxury or something to own but as a shared gift and a sacred trust. 

So, on this World Food Sunday, let us feed on Scripture that leads us to Jesus, and let Jesus lead us to our neighbours. Let our tables tell a better story, that there is enough bread, enough hope, and enough courage to make sure no one goes hungry.

May the words of Scripture give us strength to stand together. May our eating, every shared meal, every loaf of bread, and every cup poured, become an act of gratitude that feeds hope and spreads justice.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rev. Min Hwang