Creation Care, Part 2: Eating to the Glory of God

Dear Church Family, Friends, and Guests,

Food is so ubiquitous we don't often think of the ways it functions within our daily lives, religious rituals, spirituality, and the ways human cultures are shaped by foodscapes and natural environments, and give shape and meaning to the same. For Adventists, the temptation is to be unidimensional, thinking only of the health benefits or detriments of particular consumption. We may add a layer by considering longevity, or whether something consumed constitutes sin against the body, and what such sins mean in terms of personal discipline, or fortitude. But eating is a much more complex and important activity than we credit it to be! 

We find food in creation, food post-flood, and food in the life and times of Jesus. Food features heavily in the early church, affecting identities and creating divisions when unjustly distributed. And food is a permanent and wondrous feature of the life we anticipate with God. The Tree of Life is described vividly in Revelation. Through through tree flows the river of life originating from the throne of God, while the tree offers leaves that heal and many diverse fruits.

No, we won't have time to discuss all the Bible says about food, or all of the thoughts that Ellen White penned in Counsels on Diets and Foods. But we will take time to connect the way we eat to the ecological woes of the planet we call home. We'll reflect together on how our consumption affects all creation, and how we can better steward God's creation through our dietary choices. And to be clear, this isn't about guilting, shaming or judgement! God desires our thriving. And thriving requires nourishment. 

May the nourishments found in our sacred texts and in our pantries and kitchens all point us to more faithful ways of being in this amazing world!

Grace and Peace,

Pr Greg