ONE LOAF & ONE FISH: WHAT ABOUT A BILLION?

The ABC Evening News, with a substitute anchor for Charlie Gibson, on Thanksgiving night 2008 reported that many former donors to food pantries and food banks are now recipients of their benevolence as the Bush economy further tanks.

Centuries ago, with no monetary back-up, a Biblical figure reportedly fed many using the transformed results of one solitary fish and one solitary loaf of bread.

Now that the US Government in an effort to sustain failed financial institutions is providing billions of taxpayer dollars, willy nilly, to the same management teams that caused their institutions to fail, why can't some of those monies be re-directed to help some of our fellow taxpayers, who thru no fault of their own, are the vicarious victims of the failure of laissez faire capitalism during the abysmal economic malfeasance known as the Bush Administration?

If Jesus could have fed many with 1 sole fish and 1 loaf of bread, how many people could possibly be fed using 1 or 2 billion dollars worth of federal bail-out monies provided to a fortified food stamp program or direct aid to legitimate food pantries?

Why haven't we heard anything of late from the earlier touted Office of Faith Based Initiatives in the Bush White House, an office that further blurred the clear line of separation between Church and State, at a time when so many of our fellow citizens are suffering the effects of an economy in the tank?

It is arguably within their advocacy related purview to step forward and see to it that the most aid possible would find its way to food banks and food pantries, if for no other reason than to help fulfill the Administration's duty to mitigage the damage caused by the Administration's misconduct of the US economy.

If that reason by itself is not sufficient, provision of 1 or 2 billion dollars to a fortified food stamp program combined with increased aid to food banks and food pantries would help satisfy their duty as prescribed in Matthew 25, to wit, that which you do unto my Brothers and Sisters, you do unto me.

I venture to guess that the man with that 1 fish and 1 loaf would approve, conscious as I am that while he doesn't vote he does ultimately judge.