Are you aware?

As I said mid way through my beans and rice fast, not eating very much is hard - a lot harder than I anticipated. I'll admit, I struggled to maintain perspective as the week wore on. At one point, I over dramatically lamented to one of my roommates that I couldn't even remember why we decided to fast in the first place.

She gently reminded me that our goals were to raise funds and raise awareness and then asked, "Are you aware?"

As I reflect on my experience last week, I realize that my answer is yes. Yes, I am aware of the monotony of eating the same meal over and over and over again. I am aware of the hunger pains that constantly plague an empty stomach. I am aware of the discomfort associated with gaseous intestines. I am aware of the psychological torment of being unable to have enough food to fill a stomach.

But I am also aware that those of us who are well-fed often cloak our greed and entitlement with the word need.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't eat when we are hungry. I'm not even saying that we shouldn't enjoy dessert or little extras or snacks. But I am saying that we should think more carefully about the language we use to describe our dietary lifestyles, be mindful of ways to love and provide for those who have less than we do, and be active in helping to end global poverty at a systematic level.

I'm not going to quit eating ice cream altogether because poverty exists in the world. But if I'm on my way to buy a scoop (or two) of mint chocolate chip, and someone who needs a meal asks me if I can spare some change, I think you and I both know what I should (and hopefully will) do.

Because when you compare the satisfaction of eating mint chocolate chip to the joy of seeing a hungry person fed, there's really only one choice.