13 Mar Rice & Beans in Community

Special thanks to guest blogger, Nina Horn, for sharing her family’s story of how community deepens the experience of Rice & Beans Month.
___________

“Mama, can we eat rice and beans today, pleeeaase?” My four year old son begged as he came into the kitchen for breakfast. I wish I could say this occurred on the 10th day of Rice & Beans Month, but it was actually February 28th. I wasn’t about to make rice and beans on February 28th, so I told him that we would just have to wait one more day.

The Horns are eating rice and beans in Pennsylvania!

Jude’s enthusiasm caught me a bit off-guard. We had talked about the upcoming Rice & Beans Month and invited our church and other friends to join with us, but his eagerness both delighted and baffled me a bit. When he finally got his long-awaited plate of rice and beans, he held it up with a shy smile and said, “This fills my heart with love and remembrance. Of when we used to eat together at the Lahash house.”

Then I got it.

For Jude, Rice & Beans meant community. It meant being a part of something bigger, together. And that’s a big part of it for all of us. The “something bigger” is in part those of us here, changing our eating habits for a month and giving financially to make a difference, but it’s so much more than that. It’s being a part of this global community. It’s being connected to our brothers and sisters in Tanzania and Uganda, and receiving the gift of simplicity, of our hearts being moved, of a broader world view.

The Horn's church community fills their home for a rice and beans potluck feast

There will be no meals together at the Lahash house for our family this year, because “We’re eating rice + beans in Johnstown, PA”.  But we’re not doing it alone, either. When I asked if I could make an announcement in church about the event and show a video, I hoped for a “yes.” Instead, we’ve received an overwhelming “of course!” to Rice & Beans Month. We’ve opened our home for Monday night rice and bean potlucks, and people have come, with joy. There was no speculation or explanations needed, they just wanted to know how they could participate.

I call Rice & Beans Month a custom experience—there are so many ways to participate through sharing, solidarity, and simplicity. So when folks ask me if they can put chicken broth in the rice, I say “yes!” Kale in the beans? Whipped Rice for dessert? Sour cream on top?  Yes, yes yes.  Whether it be every meal, one meal a day, or just those Monday night potluck meals, all are welcome. Come to the table, welcome to community, come be a part of something bigger, together.