Food is such an integral part of life, and thus, we should do more than just consume food but eat with thought and intention. Because we are more than animals, we should eat sensibly and spiritually. I quickly admit that I am a novice on the subject of food and eating, but I want to know more and I want to become a much more responsible consumer of food. Here are the issues for me …
- I am what I eat. What I eat, how I eat, when I eat, and with whom I eat are life-defining issues. Eating is more than a necessary bodily function; eating determines who I am. I pull up to food and eat at least three times a day – it cannot help but define who I am.
- I am to be an active eater. This does not mean that I eat fast or am a voracious eater. It means that I am not to be passive as I approach food. I am to know where my food comes from and who prepares it. It also means that I am actively thinking of why I eat what I do. An active eater asks: Why am I eating this? Do I really need this? What nutritional value is in this food?
- I am to be a social eater. While eating is certainly for health and nutrition, it is also meant to be enjoyed and taken with others. Rather than being a solo act, eating should connect me to friends, family, strangers, and enemies. Eating is to take place around a table with other people. Conversation is the spice of food and the sweetness of a meal.
- I am to be a conscious eater. Eating must be more than getting what I want, when I want it, and at the cheapest price. Serious thought needs to be given to where food comes from, how much oil has been expended to get it to my mouth, whether pesticides and antibiotics have been used in its production, have those who produced it gotten a fair wage for their product, is it from a corporate farm or locally grown, was it ripe when harvested, has it been genetically modified, has all the nutritional value been processed out of it, etc.
- I am to eat spiritually. On the question of what is permissible to eat, Paul challenges the believers at Corinth that whether they eat or drink this or that, or whatever they do, they are to do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). I can say with certainty that if I waste food when others are starving, I am not glorifying God. If I consume more food than my body needs and thus do damage to my heart and develop diabetes, then I am not glorifying God with my body. If I am obese and gluttonous, I give witness to the fact that my appetite is out of control and my desires are unchecked and undisciplined. Eating is a spiritual matter.
I am a reformed and reforming ‘mindless-overeater’. I admit that when it comes to sensible and spiritual eating, I am a neophyte. But I am actively being tutored by the women in my family and others. I invite you visit the blog of my mentor in all things food – What Would Jesus Eat? Lucas seeks to identify issues related to food and eating and develop a thoughtful and active theology of food. But be careful … he is a convincing radical who just may change the way you buy, consume – and eat!
I’m with you on this in large part. However I feel this is a very middle class, white, American type of ethic. I’ve found a couple pitfalls in my attempts to eat local and fresh. First, it’s typically quite a bit more expensive. Secondly, it takes considerable more time to prepare. So in order to afford the better foods that I could purchase at the local farmers market, I have to make a little more money. This means I have to work more. Then I find myself struggling to find the time to go get and then prepare the food since I end up working so much. It ends up being a daunting cycle that I’ve struggled to find balance in. I think it can also lead to a bit of legalism if we’re not careful.
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John,
I am just now getting to your comment. Thanks for your thoughts – they are always so appreciated. Yet, I am not so sure that eating locally and fresh is a “very middle class, white, American type of ethic.” I think it has become ‘middle class, white, American’ to eat foods grown and/or processed from afar. And this is an ethical issue. The reality for much of the world is that they have no choice but to eat locally and fresh. Our ethic at this point has become – ‘I want to eat what is cheap and I demand to have whatever I want, when I want it.’ So, when certain fruits are not available in December we import them from Peru. On the subject of time spent in food preparation, what is wrong with spending more time in the kitchen preparing our raw and fresh foods rather than popping something that is nurtrientally inferior into the microwave. This may simply say that we highly value convenience. Regarding expense, it may not be a matter of working more but spending less. We have choices to make and if what we eat is important and where it comes from is crucial, then we will have to stop spending on other things that are not as important — technology, entertainment, books (ouch), etc. I agree that there is the danger of legalism that must be avoided; and yet, equally serious dangers lurk on the other side of the table.