I frequently get asked a lot of questions about food.
Whether it’s restaurant recommendations, recipe ideas or healthy eating
suggestions, my constant babbling about it often leads to long chats on the
subject with just about everyone I know or meet. But regardless of how the
conversation starts, it inevitably leads to more questions about my own dietary
choices.
Much like sharing my faith, sharing my personal dietary
choices can be super awkward and uncomfortable. I fear people will think I’m
judging them for not making the same choices (I don’t). I fear people will
think I’m trying to convert them (I’m not). And I fear people will think I’m
just some yuppie, trust-fund hipster with endless money and no concept of
reality (I wish).
But here’s the real scoop: I changed the way I eat, buy and
live because of a gut feeling (also known as God).
Ok, before you write me off as some freak show, hear me out.
Back in 2008 or so, I was reading health and fitness books, as I often do, and
started reading Skinny Bitch
(not-so-Godly, I might add). I completely disagreed with the book for a number
of reasons, however, the images it produced in my mind as I read line after
line about animal abuse in our food system including overcrowding, caging, electric
prodding, beating and maiming stuck with me. Unable to shake the
sick-to-my-stomach feeling for days, I started to research the subject.
At about the same time, my husband was listening to sermons
from one of our favorite pastors and authors, Greg Boyd. Coincidentally, Pastor
Boyd was preaching about human dominion over animals and the earth, and that
God’s intent for how this should look differed dramatically from the cruel and
brutal practices we currently use in our food system, among other things.
The sermon led to a video Pastor Boyd was featured in called
Eating Mercifully. Here’s a brief,
non-graphic clip:
As my husband and I watched the documentary together, tears
rolled down my cheeks with shame for my ignorance and for the pain I felt
watching animals suffer at the hands of people who were producing the very food
I ate. The food all of us eat.
Watching the documentary was the last straw in several weeks
of reading, researching, listening and praying that convinced me we needed to
do something. In that moment, no amount of money, no ease of convenience, no
craving for sustenance could justify not making a change in our lives. A switch was flipped. Now we just had to figure out what to
do.
Stay tuned for Part
2: How We Made the Switch to learn about
the first steps we made and the resources we used to start our journey as
contemplative carnivores.
Additional Resources:
To get a free copy of the full-length documentary, Eating Mercifully, visit: http://www.humanesociety.org/forms/eating_mercifully_dvd_request_best_friends.html
For more on Greg Boyd's teachings on animals, watch:
For the not-so-squeamish, rent Food Inc. Here's a synopsis and trailer:
Today's foods are a far cry from life on the farm as I knew it. To remain ignorant is to do nothing about it. I applaud you. We are walking a similar road.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I completely agree. And I love hearing about others who have become aware and made similar changes in their lives. My hope is to continue to spread the word and help others make even small changes that can make a big impact.
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