Porkburgers for Jesus

Thursday, July 31, 2014 Posted by Debbie Legg

On warm weather weekends (and some weekday lunchtimes) in Fairfield, Illinois, you can hardly throw a rock without hitting a porkburger sale.

The Rural Fire Department and FFA originally brought porkburger sales to Fairfield in the 1980s, but it was the local Food Park grocery store that started hosting them on a regular basis. If you need funding for a mission trip, are a non-profit, or need help with catastrophic medical expenses, this is a good deal.

I cannot begin to tally up all of the money and good will that has been raised in and for this community and beyond in the past 30 years, all by grilling a simple burger that’s made out of pork instead of beef. Add a bag of chips and a soda and you’ve got a complete meal.

Porkburger sales are even successful the weekend after a large event like the county fair. Folks just like to help folks who need it. “Keep the change” is a phrase you often hear. "Thank you" is a phrase you hear even more.

To me, this is what it’s all about. Government programs, even church-run programs, can be helpful, but nothing compares to the one-on-one, neighbor-helping-neighbor approach. And everyone’s got to eat, right? You give, you get, it’s all good.

And since every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17), I dare say that if Jesus were walking the earth today He might be one of the guys behind the grill. I bet He could feed the entire town, which interestingly enough, houses about 5,000 residents.

I wonder if He would also change water into soda?