Response to hunger: ‘Whatever’ it takes

How would you feel if …

• Your unconcerned boss calls you in to her office, shuffles papers on her desk, looks up and declares: “You know how it is. Profits are down, costs are up and business is slow. You’re fired. Whatever.”

• Your spouse confronts you over breakfast cereal with Jeff Johnsonthe curt and cutting ultimatum: “Guess what? We’ve had a few good years, but now the bloom is off the rose, and the grass is looking greener elsewhere. Whatever.”

• Your college-bound child picks the weekend before school starts to announce: “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. I’m not ready for prime time yet. I’ve canceled college. Whatever.”

Those of us once on the receiving end of a Seinfeld “yada, yada, yada” now hear the laid-back, laconic shorthand “whatever.” “Whatever” once again topped the list of most annoying words or phrases in the American vernacular in 2013, according to an annual Marist poll.

Do you want coffee or juice to drink with your breakfast? “Whatever.”

Do you want thick crust, thin crust, stuffed crust, spicy crust or no crust on that pizza? “Whatever.”

“Whatever” is a response not just for trivial or inconsequential choices in our lives. Increasingly, a “whatever” attitude is souring the taste of our entire life experience.

Whatever it takes!

Every night, millions of children go to bed homeless and hungry. I am happy to say Texas Baptists and our leadership have not responded, “Whatever.” Our vocabulary is about as far away from the “whatever” attitude. But we still respond with a different “whatever”—as in “Whatever it takes!”

First Baptist Church in Commerce has embraced filling our Texas-shaped banks (provided and distributed by the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission) and bringing them to the altar every fifth Sunday. We encourage our folks to thank God for his abundance and eat, but also to put money in their Texas-shaped bank for someone less fortunate. Resources can be found at the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering webpage. (http://hungeroffering.texasbaptists.org).

March 30 is the next fifth Sunday on this year’s calendar. Our Texas Baptist leaders in this effort are two Christian Life Commission staff members, Ferrell Foster, coordinator of the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering, and Joyce Gilbreath, world hunger specialist. I am so encouraged in hearing and reading how they lead Texas Baptists to share not only bread, but also the Bread of Life.

$1 million this Mother’s Day

In addition, our executive director, David Hardage, has challenged us to unite to raise $1 million this Mother’s Day to end hunger one mom at a time. Why? Because every mother’s child needs a meal. Follow the offering at @outhunger #lovemomendhunger.

Don’t shrug your shoulders and mumble. The stakes are too high to allow us to skip over this vital work with a quick “whatever.” Our neighbor, a single parent struggling to find childcare and keep a job, wants to hear us say, “Whatever it takes.” Our children, needing quality time—our time—want to hear us say, “Whatever it takes.” The world needs to hear Texas Baptists collectively shout, “Whatever it takes.”

I invite your congregation to say, “Whatever it takes.” Contact Ferrell Foster or Joyce Gilbreath  today.

Jeff Johnson is president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and pastor of First Baptist Church in Commerce.