255th Anniversary of the Sandwich

Is it not [fasting] to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

— Isaiah 58:7

This year marks the 255^th anniversary of the sandwich. A wealthy earl who wanted more time to play cards created the meat and bread combo—easy to eat with one hand. And it became a popular small meal, simple to serve to others, especially the homeless. Kitchens and churches across the US make and serve millions of sandwiches to the hungry every year.

Allan Law, a retired schoolteacher in Minneapolis, passed out 520,000 sandwiches to homeless people in one year. For more than a decade, he has picked up sandwiches made by volunteers and delivered them. Painted on the side of his vehicle are the words, “Love one another.” His commitment is not to feed the hungry but to change lives. He brings hope through sandwiches.

In the Old Testament God wanted people to fast in order to focus on Him. However, many people used fasting to show off how religious they were. They weren’t living out their faith. The actions without the right heart weren’t enough.

God calls us to serve others through something as simple as sharing our bread—perhaps a sandwich—with those in need. When we love others enough to welcome them into our homes, share a meal or serve the broken, that is truly worshiping God.

Today’s One Thing

Make sandwiches for someone in need. As you deliver them, pray that God will use the simple meal to meet their physical needs and point them to the One who can meet their spiritual needs.

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