Christianity

Big Brekkie Banter…

A few weeks ago I was invited to my very first bloggers event. I can’t tell you how excited I was about this, a chance to hang out and chat with other christian bloggers = great, plus with free breakfast thrown in, and all at the lovely Southwark Cathedral (which just happens to be the place I go to study each week so was very nice to be there on other matters!). Which all just about made up for the ridiculously early start to be in London for breakfast!

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‘Spires’ at Dawn

So why was I there? For Christian Aid’s new ‘Big Brekkie’ campaign, which is all part of this year’s Christian Aid week (15-21 May 2016), and frankly what’s not to love about a campaign with the strapline:

“Fight Poverty with Porridge” !

So, 30 or so bloggers, Tweeters and movie makers came together to share breakfast and hear about Christian Aid’s work and I can’t tell you how inspiring it was.

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I’ve been a supporter of Christian Aid over the years but to hear first-hand about their work was great. Challenging too, as I realised the scale of disasters, war zones and crisies they are responding to. We heard about just one of those places with the story of Morsheeda (story here) whose family are battling with the devastating floods in Bangladesh. We saw her in her home, a foot deep in water, trying to look after her family, her children, and it broke my heart. We have moaned here in the UK about the floods that have hit here, and I am in no way dismissing peoples pain and loss in the UK, but there in Bangladesh, there is no one to pay insurance pay outs, no one to help clear up and it’s not like the water subsides after a few days either. But, Christian Aid is there, helping to pick up the pieces and aiming to build flood proof houses that mean people can rebuild their lives, and safeguard their families.

What is £250? For me that’s 2 weeks of food shopping or a few new outfits, and yet for Morsheeda it means life, it means safety, it means a future. £250 could buy: flood-proofing, a goat, seeds and a wormery – which will give her a long term income and a foundation for her future.

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So where does the breakfast come in? Well for Christian Aid week this year, the charity is encouraging everyone to host their own ‘Big Brekkie’ breakfast to raise funds and awareness of their work. How easy is that? and if you’ve ever ploughed the streets delivering and picking up envelopes with 48 1/2p in them, then hosting a breakfast seems so much more attractive right?! (Not that there is anything wrong with the envelope thing, I’ve done it, counted pennies and loved it, it’s all part of serving Jesus. But this seems a whole lot more fun, yes?!)

Every community shares food to some extent, whether at a gathered family meal, wedding party, evening meal, or maybe by sharing bread and wine. When Jesus ate with people things happened. So how about modelling that ourselves?

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So, do you want to know more? Why not sign up to host a breakfast here and get your free sign up pack (above) with all kinds of goodies to help you host your breakfast. As they told us:

“Where 2 or 3 are gathered… You can have a big brekkie”

 

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some of the lovely bloggers chatting over coffee in Borough market

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