Lately, one of the international breaking news is the famine in the Gaza war zone. Some people said that it was staged photos which intended to attract the world’s attention to put pressure on Israel; on the other hand, some people think that it was the facts, a few hundred thousand people are experiencing malnutrition due to insufficient food and prolonged hunger. War is not limited to weaponry fighting, it also involves psychological battles. Maybe the truth shall be revealed one day, then everyone will be shocked by it, or we can only hope there will be a day when justice prevails.         

War is definitely cruel; however, the truth about war is not limited to the battlefield. Our country is not experiencing any form of famine, yet we are facing issues relating to “Food Insecurity”. According to the definition given by the World Food Programme, food insecurity means “Under normal circumstances, unable to obtain safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy growth and life. ”     
Factors such as low income, high living costs, or extra expenses such as medical charges could prevent many poor and underprivileged families from having a balanced and nutritious meal. They are living on unstable meal supplies; having a meal now doesn’t guarantee a meal later in the day. They could also be having the same diet for years, which could cause severe health issues or deterioration of health, and fall into the evil cycle of poverty and illnesses.         

“7979 Manna Food Bank” distributes RM200 worth of Manna Bag every bi-monthly. This act seems like a cup of water over a blazing cartload of firewood, yet a cup of water is better than no water at all. A volunteer shared that during a home visit, the service recipient told him that the Manna Bag we gave her helped her save enough money to buy spectacles for her granddaughter, which helped her to see clearly what was written on the board, hence enabling her to keep up with the class. 
​
Of course, we have many poor families that are poorer in our country. A Malay Newspaper revealed that a single-parent family with 7 children, the eldest son of 15 years old, had to quit school to support the family, because they are so poor that sometimes they are down to plain rice for almost every meal, without any dishes. This is not a standalone case; from West Coast Malaysia to East Malaysia, many families do not die of hunger, yet their lives are not far from it.         

Come to this point, some people might say, the poor are so poor because of some inherent reasons. Is it true that every pitiful person must have something detestable about them? It sounds rational when we hear or come across this quotation, yet when we ponder deeper, it feels like something doesn’t sound right. Undeniably, some pitiful people end up poor because they inflicted on themselves, yet the majority of them are victims of unfortunate or fateful incidents.    

Caregivers usually will fall into 2 psychological conditions: Firstly, they perceive that the service recipients are not good enough (they deserve it); secondly, they perceive themselves as not good enough (helpless). These two attitudes can be a stumbling block for one to be a long-term caregiver. To walk out of these attitudes, one must be humble (i.e. in Christian terms, referring to “Walking with God”). It is not about who is not good enough. Let us be clear, everyone needs God’s daily grace, after all, we have our own flaws which deserve punishment.

“Manna” in the Bible is a daily food provision in the wilderness; it symbolises God’s provision and promise (His pledge). We have hopes for tomorrow because we have eternal promises.   

Every pitiful person must have something detestable about them; whereas a person who does not show any form of kindness to others is also despicable. Let us hope that one day, the pitiful person will surely have someone to care for and love them.