Last fall our group read Marcus Borg's "The Heart of Christianity," and our Lenten study of "Food & Faith" is designed partly to bring some praxis to the principles Borg discusses, by taking a look at our "daily bread," one of the most basic necessities of life. So, does the idea of a "What Would Jesus Eat?" diet make you uncomfortable? It unsettles me, in that it appears to combine what Borg calls the "rules and requirements" approach that underlies so many Americans' understanding of Christianity with the same approach that manifests itself in our obsession with the latest fad diet. Meanwhile, we as a population grow not only more violent and unfeeling, but increasingly unhealthy and obese. Clearly, some thing is not right.
The Real Food Challenge, a national campaign spearheaded by college students, is a good example of change that is underway to create a food system that nourishes people, communities, and the earth, from farm to plate. They've also devised a great visual representation that displays the web of relationships that comprise our food system.
It's how to foster healthy and just relationships within this system that we will be exploring in our group in the coming weeks, seeking a deeper understanding and application of our role as Christians in promoting peace and justice, in compassionate relationship with God and all of Creation, to advance a food culture that nourishes our bodies, as well as our souls.
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