Devotional - March 8, 2011

The full Rice & Beans Month devotional booklet "Shared Elements" is available for download here

Exodus 23:10-11
“For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its
yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie
fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and
what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do
the same with your vineyard, and with your olive
orchard.” (NRSV)

Reflection
Sabbath and rice and beans? Although Sabbath was real in my childhood home, one thing didn't change: the Sunday dinner, always special, often with guests. Eating was essential to the joy of Sabbath. In this passage, it's the Sabbath of Years, the land to lie fallow, to rest. Humans and animals rested once a week. Land produces cash crops continuously for six years but will have a year to produce nothing of commercial value. During Rice & Beans Month, we eat simply, although we will surely expect someone's land to produce beans and rice for us. Yet, simple eating does allow land to rest from intensive farming that depletes it. Of course, land naturally reproduces even as it rests from cash crops. The fruit of olive trees and grape vines will not be wasted. Hungry people and wild animals eat. A beautiful picture: a year of rest for the farm and farmer, but productive soil providing food for poor, landless people, and for birds, field mice, rabbits, squirrels, beetles, grasshoppers, snakes. They'll have a field day, or better, 365 field days. It's all in God's plan. Sabbath. Rest. Joy. Shalom!

- Jim Anderson, Lahash Volunteer

For Kids
Have you ever driven out in the country and seen huge fields of wheat or
corn? Farmers work hard to keep all those plants growing so that they can
sell the food. In Bible times, God told people that every seven years they
should let the land rest from farming. Whatever grew on it during that year
was free for people who couldn't afford to pay for food. This was a way of
caring for the poor in the community. Years later, scientists learned that
letting the land rest was really smart for farmers–without the time of rest,
the plants would stop growing!

This month, we are doing something unusual, like farmers who are not
farming. We are eating rice and beans to help poor people. How do you
think eating rice and beans might also help us?