A Rabbi once told me that keeping
kosher (following Old Testament dietary laws) made him think about
God every time he prepared food. I like that. We say grace before
meals to acknowledge God as the source of our daily bread.
At the same time, I thought the Old
Testament dietary laws were health-related. The timeless lesson being
that we watch what we eat to optimize our health so we can honor God
with our bodies. I now realize that there is more to it than that.
As a soldier and competitive athlete my
relationship with food had always been performance based. I knew how
to get the right amount and type of calories for my body. If my body
fat percentage or blood chemistry was out of range, a few adjustments
would get me back on track.
However, a healthy diet and exercise
has not prevented me from deadly health related diseases. In 2009, a
section of my colon had to be removed following an attack of
diverticulitis that perforated my colon. That year I was diagnosed
with diabetes (family history). Over the last year my diabetes and
high blood pressure required greater amounts of medication and, last
week, I had quintuple coronary by-pass surgery. Factors other than
diet and exercise have been at play.
Early one morning I was making
breakfast while the rest of the house slept. I do everything in slow
motion these days so I was mindful of my movements. I gathered my
ingredients and utensils in silence with the care given a Japanese
Tea Ceremony. I recalled the health benefits of each ingredient as I
mixed my super-healthy oatmeal together. I ate slowly and with
gratitude, not only for the healthy breakfast but, also, for the
health to prepare it.
We eat to live but Jesus said, “It is
written,
'Man shall not live by bread
alone...'” (Matthew
4:4)
Jesus reminds us of the connection to
the God who sustains us. Meal times, whether we eat in community or
solitude, offer an opportunity to slow down and remember the
connection between our physical and spiritual needs. Life (animal or
plant) gives life and labor (ours and that of others) placed a meal
before us. Our physical health is improved when we are mindful not
only of what we eat but how.
Then Jesus declared,
“I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me
will never go hungry,
and whoever believes in
me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35 (NIV)
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