Chicken Little and the Neighborhood Pop-up Kitchen
By Lori Fontana
Back in our college days, our parish pastor told us a parable. Chicken Little lay on her back in the road, her spindly little legs sticking straight up towards the sky. Noble Knight, clothed in shining armor, with his lance and shield gleaming in the sunlight, came riding by on his huge steed. He stopped next to Chicken Little, bending over to speak to her.
“Why lie-est thus in the dust, little chick?” questioned the Knight.
Chicken Little responded, “The sky is falling; the sky is falling!”
“And thou think-est thou can help thusly – by holding thy measly little chicken legs in the air?!?” scoffed the Knight.
“One does what one can,” the chick replied confidently.
In these crazy days of horrific gun violence, deep discord and mistrust, runaway inflation with gas at $6 a gallon and sky-high grocery and housing prices; a war in Ukraine; strife in our neighborhoods; hunger, danger, the pandemic – YIKES! How are we supposed to manage, to cope? How do we as Christians not just survive but thrive? How do we claim the JOY of God’s love, which we know is at the very core of our existence and is also present in every human being and in all of creation?
Day-to-day routines will look different in the life of each person of faith; but I offer two suggestions to buoy and sustain our Christian walk: prayer and service.
Prayer is, of course, a no-brainer. Prayer is “communication with our God,” the Trinity of divine persons who love us completely and unconditionally. We can hardly claim to be a Christian without having a practice of daily prayer wherein we communicate heart to heart with God, in whatever manner nourishes and encourages us. It could be silent reflection, the community prayer of Mass, spiritual reading, prayer walking, prayer groups, meditative song or rosary / chant, prayer of the imagination, music, art…the ways we pray are as numerous as there are Christians. Without prayer, we cannot connect to God; and our souls will wither and die within. Prayer is the most basic of self-care routines. It builds the foundation upon which the rest of our life is built.
This leads to my second suggestion: service to others. Prayer, both personal and communal (such as the Mass) nourishes and guides us for a purpose – to be a power for good in the world, to be the hands and feet, heart and voice of God in a world which, as we daily see and hear, is in desperate need of God’s love and care. What does this service look like? Well, first and foremost is our “service” to our family and our job, as we fulfill the daily duties of our primary vocation, be it as a married person, a single person, or a vowed religious person. Beyond these primary responsibilities, I’d say the sky’s the limit on what individuals might do to serve others.
We don’t have to look far to notice “needs.” They are in our neighborhood, our section of the city, our country, all around our world. A practical starting point is, what’s needed right now, within our own families and the circumstances of our own daily lives? Ask yourself, what needs do I see? What gifts can I offer?
Here’s an example from my life. Some folks in our neighborhood have joined together to provide food every Sunday afternoon, under the nearby freeway, for anyone who comes. About four years ago, some of the neighbors noticed folks living outside, including under the freeway, and decided to cook a hot meal which they served on folding tables they set up near where folks were camping. They call it the Ravenna Pop-Up Kitchen. During the pandemic, this has become a cold meal, wrapped for take-away. Other small items are offered: socks and underwear, towels, masks, hand sanitizer. In the winter cold, some organizers made hot chocolate and coffee to help warm the folks who came. About 200 people in our neighborhood are part of the email info thread. Between providing the food and distributing it on site, a dozen people directly participate each week. Folks help when they can and donate food and other items.
It involves planning and coordination. It’s a commitment, particularly for the group leaders, who will pick up the slack when other volunteers are lacking. But the group has provided a Sunday meal faithfully for more than 4 years and counting.
The group serves about 25 – 35 meals each week and is so appreciated by the folks that come. Several people come every week and even hang around for a visit while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate. Robert and I, plus our daughter Mary, volunteer 1 – 2 times a month to prepare some food, set up tables, or distribute the meals on-site.
Our efforts seem very much like Chicken Little’s effort to prop up the sky with her tiny legs. Homelessness and hunger are such HUGE problems in Seattle. What can a few people possibly do that will make any difference? We can’t do everything! But, on the other hand, if each of us does what we CAN do, things can get better. We spread the Good News.
One more parable: A little boy walked along the seashore picking up starfish stranded on the sand and tossing them gently back into the water. An old man watching him said, “You can’t possibly return all the starfish to the sea. Why do you even try? What difference can you make?”
As the boy carefully put another starfish into the ocean, he responded, “Well, I make a difference to this one!”
One does what one can! You and I can be the hands and heart of Jesus in the world. Even if in a small way, we can bring the grace and blessing of the Holy Spirit to each person we meet.
