A Food Philosophy?

There is so much about food that is central to our life as humans, as Christians, and as our much smaller sub-set of the student community that meets every Sunday night at Grace University Lutheran Church for a dinner and discussion series called Bread and Belonging.

This Sunday, we’ll be cooking together using sustainable food, purchased from a local co-op.  Not only is it important, but also fun and life-giving to cook food that’s good for you, and good for the earth.

Interested?  Show up at Grace at 3:30 for Cooking Club!

In the mean time, I want to share with you some food philosophies that Lutheran Campus Ministry collected at the U of M’s Food Day in October.  We encouraged people of all faiths to think about where their spirituality intersected with their choice of what to eat and with whom they eat.  These are a few of the responses we received:

I feel that there is a sense of abundance around food in the world if it is all shared and dealt with responsibly.  I believe in eating whole, good for you, nutritious meals that sustain not only your body but mind and spirit as well.  There is nothing more fulfilling than having a good meal with friends, family or strangers. Food that is made from the earth and doesn’t harm it is the best for people and of course mother earth herself.  Sharing food makes it possible for community to form and lives to be transformed.

Food is life. Life is spirit.  When we create, consume and nurture homegrown, healthy foods we connect these – in a way that a wrapped-process-food substance can never do.

Food is here to keep us going.  We should only eat to sustain ourselves and the rest we should share, and help others who don’t have enough.

I believe that it is our responsibility to do right by each other and the Earth.  In doing so, we are making an effort to show our devotion and respect to God.  As such, we should grow and gather our food in respectable ways and offer meals to those who would not otherwise eat.

I think that food is always greater when shared with others.  My family always gathers in large groups and we all cook together.  We cook food that we grew or food from local farms when possible.  So much love can be shared through a meal – it’s a time to come together, enjoy one another’s company, all while filling our bodies with the beautiful gift of food that the Lord has given us.

I believe that food should not only satisfy our hungering bodies, but should also have a spiritual impact.  Our food should always keep us mindful of the blessings we receive from God.

I try to think about where my food is coming from – is it shipped or locally grown? Is it organic? I try to focus on cooking my own food rather than eating out and to make informed decisions while grocery shopping – as much as a college student on a budget can.  Doing so is a good way to care for creation.

I prefer eating with community whether that be with people I love and know or people I am sharing my time and energy with.  I also believe in eating healthy, natural, local food that not only nourishes our body and soul, but also our community.

I think that food is an essential part of everyone’s life.  We all need nutrients in order to live.  Jesus meant for food to be shared, a symbol of him, and understood as God’s creation.  It’s important to have community over food.  If we share in that, we will all knwo God a little better.

I believe that everything on the Earth was provided for us to use and preserve.  We were given the plants and the animals to flourish by, but in order to make the most of this gift, we must treat it with respect and not take it for granted.  We have been entrusted with the responsibility of sharing this gift with all of humanity, and also to not squander it.  We must conserve our resources and make sure that none of it goes to waste.  In this way we can thank God for the gifts He has given us.