Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Study Guide | Page 5

CHRISTIAN STUDY GUIDE – 2014 HUNGER REPORT

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SESSION 2: FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS AS ECONOMIC UNITS
The Word
Read Isaiah 65:20-23
In the reign of God, we are all brothers and sisters—the family of God. The passage from Isaiah
shares God’s promise for this family. The primary biblical unit of community was the household: Noah boarded the ark with his household, the Passover lamb was eaten by households,
and, as he sent them forth, Jesus instructed his disciples to bless or release households. When
asked about his family, Jesus said, referring to his disciples, “These are my brothers and sisters.”
People were baptized along with their households, and in the Acts of the Apostles. households
served as nuclei for the early church. In his letters, St. Paul consistently refers to fellow believers
as “brothers and sisters.” In Jesus’ time and in ours, expectations of shared economic resources
(food, housing, and money) are integral to the language of family and household.
1. Who is in your household?
2. As a Christian, who do you consider to be your brothers and sisters?
3. With whom do you share resources (money, housing, food)? Are there other economic
implications of your first two answers?

The Issue
Amidst concern about the disintegration of the American family, our nation’s families
and households that people share continue to serve as essential safety nets. They must be
supported if we are to end hunger and poverty. The Hunger Report describes the uneasy
relationship of employment in America with care for children, seniors, and people with disabilities and points out that ample research shows that marital stability is linked to favorable household economic conditions. It also shows the high frequency of temporary poverty.
Since the official poverty rate is based on household income for a full calendar year, it doesn’t
reflect the extent to which people cycle in and out of poverty during that year.
1. What are the effects on a household of moving in and out of poverty?
2. Many Americans are paid too little to work their way out of poverty. As a result, the
majority of households that qualify for SNAP (formerly called food stamps) are working
families with children. The Hunger Report calls for jobs that pay a living wage and
enable people to feed their families without SNAP benefits. What are some of the many
other ways that a household would benefit from a living wage for its workers?

176? Christian Study Guide

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