When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down", and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (John 6:5-13)

     Is wasting food a sin? When so many in our own country, let alone around the world, are going hungry each day, I believe it is. Let me share some statistics with you with commentary along the way. More than 40% of all food produced in America is not eaten. 25% of what enters our homes is not eaten. American restaurants throw away more than 6,000 tons of food everyday. Clearly, most Americans are not that concerned with wasting food.
     I food shop for our family, and I see first hand how much food at the grocery stores is destined for the dumpster at the end of the day. When I eat out, I see how many people don't bother to take their leftovers home. I saw a remarkable sight at the store just today. Blueberries were on sale for $1.29 per pint. Right to them were larger containers of blueberries, perhaps 2 to 3 times larger, selling for $7.99. Can you predict what is the likely destination for the larger containers? You see things like this all the time. The stores have to stock certain items even though they know darn well they are not going to sell many, or perhaps even none. Why? "We have to offer customers a choice."
     Did you ever wonder what the true price of having out-of-season produce available in the middle of winter really is? Author Michael Pollan has calculated that on average it takes more than one calorie of fossil-fuel energy to yield one calorie of food. Did you ever stop to think how much energy it takes to pick, package, and ship under refrigeration that bag of lettuce of only 100 or so calories?
     More numbers: Food scraps make up 17% of what we send to landfills. Rotting food in landfills contributes to global warming, as landfills are America's primary source of methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times worse than carbon dioxide. Does it make sense to drive hybrid vehicles and install compact fluorescent bulbs if we're going to ignore the food waste problem?
     The behavior starts early. Go visit a school cafeteria and see the waste. Ironically, recent efforts to combat obesity, especially in children, has only made matters worse, as parents have backed off on the "clean your plate" mentality.
     So what can be done? Plan better. Before you buy an item, especially a perishable one, know what you intend to use it for and when. Check expiration dates before you buy. If you eat out, take your leftovers home. My family brings plastic containers with us to the restaurant, to avoid having to use styrofoam containers which are not biodegradable. Don't order food you're not sure you'll eat. Don't order dessert "just for a taste". Compost if you can.
     The consumer-driven society we live in dictates that we should be able to purchase anything our heart desires regardless of the ethics of doing so. This has led to over-production of all types of foodstuffs, with vastly negative consequences for energy use, the environment, and our pocketbooks. Reversing this trend and reducing food waste has to start with each person and each family making better decisions. For the good of our homes and our neighbors, start making more intelligent choices today.

Lord God, give us wisdom to use the bountiful resources you have given us in a more responsible and frugal way. Help us to break free from the clutches of our disposable culture. Teach us to better value what we have from you, and to use our excess to aid the poor instead of allowing it to go to waste. Make this our goal as responsible stewards or your creation. Amen.

Contributed by David
Sunday July 6, 2008
Liturgical Year A Week 32
Sunday Gospel reading:
Lectionary 14 (Proper 9)
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost