Dole, McGovern, Messer announce book on ending hunger

WASHINGTON - In a room full of dignitaries at the National Press Club, the Rev. Donald Messer, director of the National Center for Global Parish Ministry at the United Methodist-related Iliff School of Theology in Denver, sat between former senators and presidential nominees Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and George McGovern (D-S.D.). The three men, all United Methodists, announced the release of a book on global hunger they had written together under no contract other than a handshake.

The book's subject is in accord with the United Methodist Social Principles, paragraph 163-E: "In order to provide basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, and other necessities, ways must be found to share more equitably the resources of the world."

Speaking to his own denomination, Messer said that "I believe United Methodists divided on some hot-button issues of church and society are invited to stand united on the fundamentals of our faith - feeding the hungry."

"We can no longer accept the moral and political scandal of hunger."

- Donald Messer

Messer came to the hunger issue as one concerned with global AIDS. His most recent book is Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence: Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis. He shared with his audience an experience of his in Kenya, seeing an ailing and hungry man with HIV weakly accepting both AIDS-fighting antiretroviral medications from the United States PEPFAR program and food from the United Nations World Food Programme. Days later, walking through a Nairobi street, Messer saw the same man now so invigorated that, he says, "I saw Lazarus."

Citing Christ's call in the Gospel of Luke to share what we have, Messer called on Christians to create the political will and "mobilize compassion without borders." He said, "we can no longer accept the moral and political scandal" of hunger.

"Together as a people of God. we will work together to end hunger now" and help people "in this desperate world."

The event's moderator the Rev. David Beckmann, president of the Christian hunger advocacy group Bread for the World, noted that United Methodists have been active on the issue of hunger "for a long time."

Former U.S. Senators McGovern and Dole both connected the issue of hunger to AIDS. McGovern noted that AIDS drugs only work in the absence of malnutrition and so are useless in a hungry population. He called for an expansion of the McGovern-Dole school food program, which brings children who otherwise would not get an education into schools around the world and particularly empowers women in developing nations.

"The thing with the hunger problem it that it's soluble," said McGovern. The former Democratic presidential nominee also said writing the book was "a political miracle," as Dole was chair of the Republican National Committee during McGovern's campaign. "I'd wake up every morning and he'd take another bite out of me."

Dole emphasized the bipartisan necessity of addressing hunger: "It's not a red issue, it's not a blue issue, it's a red, white and blue issue," he said.

"Feeding the hungry is not only morally right, but also pragmatic" when one considers the benefits of a nourished population and the surplus of farm goods in the United States. Senators Dole and McGovern had a long history in the Senate of co-sponsoring anti-hunger legislation.

The book Ending Hunger Now is a challenge to persons of faith to follow the bipartisan example of its authors and act on the belief that helping the hungry is a religious imperative and human priority. It is divided into chapters written by the different authors, including a trialogue between the three of them. Each of its five chapters ends with study questions for congregations or small groups reading the book together.

The book also has online support that can be found online www.endinghungernow.org provides the full text of the foreword, written by former President Bill Clinton, links to hunger organizations and networks, upcoming hunger events, suggestions for congregations, and a discussion forum.

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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