Food Righteousness

Food is not my religion.
Though that may seem like a really obvious statement to make since food is not seen by most Americans as a means by which one may become holy, I have found that it is a definite means by which one--namely, I--can become holier than thou.

Because I feel good about the decisions our family is making in regards to the food we put in our bodies, I have found myself being occasionally judgmental of the food others are putting in their bodies. I'll catch myself peaking with narrow eyes into other people's grocery carts and calculating how clotted their arteries must be or approximately how many years they have left to live. Okay, so they've got Velveeta cheese, microwave burritos, and SPAM? I'll give 'em fifteen years tops before they develop some type of chronic debilitating illness, and a total of twenty-five years before they croak. While I don't think it is wrong for me to desire others to eat healthily so that they may live better lives and make less of a negative impact on the environment, it's amazing how quickly "feeling sorry" for my fellow humans turns into looking down upon them. I have been ashamed of myself.

 

Some friends of mine and I are reading through the Bible in a year, and right now we're right smack in the middle of Levitical law. Nothing gets the day started like a bit of instruction on the finer points of sacrificial offerings! As irrelevant as I have felt some of it is to me in the twenty-first century, I have been surprised at how interesting it's been to read and how direct its application often has been to my life. This morning as Michael and I discussed why on Earth the loving God of the universe would require a blood offering from His people, I remembered a scripture I've heard the "grown-ups" say all my life: "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Sin is so offensive to God that He cannot coexist with it. Death is not punishment for sin; it's what sin deserves--it's what sin earns. As an expression of His mercy towards His people, God allowed the ancient Hebrews to symbolically place all their sin upon an animal and offer it as compensation for their sins. Thinking of it from that perspective made the practice of sacrificial offerings seem much less gruesome--and even loving--especially when you consider the fact that that same Holy God eventually came to Earth as a man and endured death on the cross to become THE sacrificial offering for all of mankind, forever. The same scripture that reminds us "the wages of sin is death" goes on to say "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Talk about incredible. (If you have not read Romans 6 recently, stop here and re-read it. If you've never read it, you must hear the Good News! Pause for a moment and hit this link.)

What in the world does that have to do with food?
Quite simply, there is no righteousness apart from Christ. That's why, if you've spent much time with us this year, you have probably noticed that we do not dogmatically stick to our "meatless meal" rule and that we occasionally have treats like--gasp!--dip made with processed cheese. We do strive to make good choices in all situations (After all, I can't exactly justify filling my plate with fatty hors d'oevres at a wedding because it would be offensive to the bride if I didn't), but it would be extremely shortsighted to reject a meal offered by friends because it does not meet my dietary requirements. That's ridiculous.

At the same time, I do think this is a complicated issue that requires conscientiousness on the part of any Christian. In fact, honestly, sometimes I feel like we are missing an opportunity to lead in this area--but that's probably another post for another time. In the meantime, I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts, whether you post here on the blog, email me, or tell me personally.


And finally, my favorite recipes for the week

Cousous Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash - these go great with the Fruity Phyllo Packages (recipe follows), especially since they use the same oven temp! We thought the couscous dish was good hot or cold.

Ingredients

• 1 bag chopped butternut squash (I found this in the produce section at Walmart; I estimate it's about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons honey, divided
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup couscous
• 1 cup broth of your choice
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or the juice of about 1/2 lemon)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Mix half the honey with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl, add the squash, and toss well to coat. Tip into a roasting pan and roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until soft and golden.
3. Meanwhile, cook the couscous according to package instructions, using the broth instead of water. After it cooks, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and fork through, then stir in the diced zucchini and red bell pepper. Cover to keep warm.
4. Whisk the remaining honey and oil together with the lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir the mixture through the couscous.
5. To serve, top the couscous with the roasted squash.

Fruity Phyllo Packages - these were delicious! They're like the healthy, yummy solution to McDonald's apple pies. Good for breakfast or after dinner.

Ingredients

• 3 apples, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• 6 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed if frozen
• olive oil, for brushing
• plain or vanilla yogurt, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Mix first 5 ingredients in a small pan and cook over medium heat until the apples are soft. Cool completely.
3. Fold each sheet of phyllo pastry in half. place a spoonful of apple mixture near one corner of the pastry and roll like a burrito. Brush with oil to make a good seal. Repeat for all 6 pastries.
4. Brush the tops of each pastry with oil and place on a pan.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly (especially if you're serving this to your kids--the apples get pretty hot!). Serve with the yogurt.