World Central Kitchen, here and there

Armodoxy for Today: WCK, here and there

The day after the Feast of Theophany this year, wildfires broke out throughout Los Angeles. Our area was hit severely forcing evacuations. After three days away we were allowed back to our home in Pasadena. Thank God we had one to return to. Many of our friends and acquaintances returned to find their houses leveled, burnt to the ground along with memories. The standing brick chimneys in neighborhood are an eerie reminder of those ravaging fires.

For the weeks, which turned into months, the World Central Kitchen was busy at work throughout the city, providing meals and supplies to the victims. The World Central Kitchen serves chef-prepared meals to communities impacted by natural disasters and during humanitarian crises. Check out their website for a map of all the places on Earth where they are cooking tonight. Over 450 million meals!

One of the greatest humanitarian crises on our planet right now is in Gaza. World Central Kitchen was there. In April, seven of their aid workers were killed in an air strike by Isreal. They were recently eulogized at the National Cathedral by the founder of the World Central Kitchen, Jose Andres.

Seven people who went to help in a humanitarian effort were killed. You wonder, where is the justice in all of this?

Just a couple of days ago, World Central Kitchen announced that it was halting all aid to the Gaza, “After serving more than 130 million total meals and 26 million loaves of bread over the past 18 months, World Central Kitchen no longer has the supplies to cook meals or bake bread in Gaza,” it said in a post on X.

This, while more than 2 million people, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA announced, face severe food shortages.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s message, what I am talking about is not about the politics there, but about the humanitarian crisis of innocent children and people being deprived of medicine, food and water.

Tomorrow, I’ll share with you how an encounter in post-genocide Rwanda explained this reality and what it means.

Today, we pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, you who opened the eyes of the blind man, open our eyes which are blinded by hatred. You who gave hearing to the deaf man, open our ears which can no long hear the cry of babies. You who loosened the tongue of the mute, open our mouths so we may share our voice for justice. You who restore strength in the legs of the paralyzed man, gives us the stamina to the walk to bring aid. You who opened the hearts of those who hate, open our hearts to give those in need. Amen.

Next Step with Fr. Vazken #802 – Listen Here