With Labor Day weekend here and my courses at FST beginning this week, summer is now over. Unfortunately, my summer plan to teach about vegan nutrition via this blog never materialized. The primary reason: MY COMPUTER, which had major issues early June and finally crashed on my birthday. By the time I purchased a new lap-top and was back to full on-line functioning, it was mid-August. With school around the corner, I decided to enjoy the rest of the summer, which I did.
During the summer, I took many steps forward in my journey as a "raw (or rawer) vegan". I have new restaurants and stores, which I will review. And I have numerous experiences, which I plan to share as I get back into the discipline of reading, writing, and blogging (unless of course, a full-time course load and part-time work get the best of me!).
Though I was not able to use this blog to articulate the nutritional value of a vegan and especially a raw vegan diet, my vegan life was able to make a positive difference this summer. Many of the vegetarian resources say that the greatest impact you can have in changing someone's diet and ultimately improving their health comes through your example and lifestyle. By doing what you do, and eating as you eat, people are watching and learning. I discovered the reality of this over the summer.
At camp these past months, I've been basing many more meals around the main kitchen. With the freshest produce in the walk-in fridge, it has been a lot of "grab and go." As my diet shifted and I began to decline certain meals, one of the cooks asked me point blank one day early this summer = "You're eating raw, aren't you?"
I had barely admitted to myself that I was a raw vegan, but caught red-handed, I fumbled for an answer and tentatively replied, "Yeah, I guess I'm eating rawer."
From the beginning, she has been observing my changing food choices. We've talked casually about diet, and she's overheard conversations I've had with her husband about health and fitness. And just last week she shared with me that she's taking a step forward with her health and giving up red meat. I'm so proud of her! Though hamburgers are still her weakness, it's a start and we all start somewhere. With the changes she has made, she's been feeling more energetic, less bogged down, and has even begun to lose weight!
At the neighborhood food pantry where I volunteer, I've had numerous opportunities to share about my diet. As we sort food, take food, and read food labels, we simply end up talking about food each Sunday. The food pantry workers are probably the first to learn about my latest decisions surrounding food choices, especially this summer as I've taken the "road less cooked."
A few weeks back, our food distribution coordinator shared with me that she has decided to eat raw during the daytime. It's been going very well and she is now enjoying it. Though she still cooks breakfast and dinner for her husband and family, she has shared that there are days she simply doesn't feel like eating what she's prepared so she will sit there with raw snap peas, her new favorite snack food.
She shared again today how Sunday after church lunches at a restaurant are now making her sick, and how, after the empenadas she had today, she thinks she's finally getting the message = Don't eat it! Her taste buds are changing, her body is detoxing, and through it, she has now lost 13 pounds in about 3 weeks. Her skin has cleared up and her allergies have not been as bad, and if anything, are disappearing. The wonders of going raw!
Her new favorite TV show is now on BBC America, "You are what you eat!" I've not seen it, but it sounds like my kind of show. She shared about one episode where they used 200 pounds of beef to form a human body, and then poured fat on it. The fat immediately coagulated when it touched the cold dead cow. Disgusting. She said, "The image would make any meat eater turn."
While I cannot take ALL the credit for her decision to eat raw during the day times, I do believe that my eating habits did have an influence.
As St. Francis is believed to have said (though I've not yet found it in my readings): "Preach the gospel. And if necessary, use words." Though I wasn't able to "teach" about vegan nutrition this summer, I am thankful that my example did encourage others to choose healthier and more environmentally friendly options in diet and lifestyle. And that is what this blog is really all about.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
A raw decision
I have been moving these last few days. Thus, a delay in our vegan nutrition lessons. And as I've been moving, I discovered a new roommate - a field mouse. Because I've been determining how to best deal with my new friend (and I want to share it with you), we have another reason for the delay.
One of my first mornings in this new place, I made way into the kitchen and saw the eyes of a little creature poking around on the partially covered stovetop. When I moved closer, it dashed into the hole of the stove where the gas line comes up, and it disappeared while I tried to get a look to see where it escaped.
I had just moved in and was (and still am) between my old place at camp, which has hot water, and this new place, which still has no hot water. Other than my fruit bowl and compost bin, there is no food here and I've not done much food prep in this kitchen. There were no signs of visit earlier as this 5th wheel trailer unit I've moved into just arrived at camp last week. Thus, this is a new visit and a new place for my forest friend, who I prefer remain a "forest" friend.
A few weeks back I blogged about how I deal with insects as a vegan, and wrote, "luckily, I've not had to face ant swarms or rodent invasions in my place. If I do, you'll probably read it on the blog as I cross that ethical vegan dilemma when the time comes." Well, the time has come. How DO I as a vegan deal with this new dilemma?
At work last week, our camp's Executive Director asked me to pass the message on to our Associate Director that we need more rat poison. If I were to ask the camp for assistance on what to do, I know what their response will be as there has been evidence of increased invasion in other staff resident trailers. (That was a nice thing about my old residence - it was a house not a trailer.)
In moving from a house to a trailer, I've been needing to downsize and make decisions about what to keep, what to store, what to give away what to bring to my parent's place as I will be living there part-time and here at camp part-time when in school (the reason I'm switching residences at camp).
Like most folks, I have a shlew of pots, pans, et al. The night before "the visit", I had just moved a crate of some essential cookware I thought I might need. The cookware was actually in a crate right in front of the stove when I see the eyes looking at me. While moving the crate, removing the metal grate, and covering the entire stove top with cutting boards, I decided to simply leave the crate packed and bring it to my parent's place. And in that moment I decided I will not be cooking here and with that made another decision.
How do I as a vegan deal with the problem of rodents? Become a raw food vegan. (or at least, a raw food vegan while here at camp... for now.) The vegan-me adventure continues. Stay tuned.
One of my first mornings in this new place, I made way into the kitchen and saw the eyes of a little creature poking around on the partially covered stovetop. When I moved closer, it dashed into the hole of the stove where the gas line comes up, and it disappeared while I tried to get a look to see where it escaped.I had just moved in and was (and still am) between my old place at camp, which has hot water, and this new place, which still has no hot water. Other than my fruit bowl and compost bin, there is no food here and I've not done much food prep in this kitchen. There were no signs of visit earlier as this 5th wheel trailer unit I've moved into just arrived at camp last week. Thus, this is a new visit and a new place for my forest friend, who I prefer remain a "forest" friend.
A few weeks back I blogged about how I deal with insects as a vegan, and wrote, "luckily, I've not had to face ant swarms or rodent invasions in my place. If I do, you'll probably read it on the blog as I cross that ethical vegan dilemma when the time comes." Well, the time has come. How DO I as a vegan deal with this new dilemma?
At work last week, our camp's Executive Director asked me to pass the message on to our Associate Director that we need more rat poison. If I were to ask the camp for assistance on what to do, I know what their response will be as there has been evidence of increased invasion in other staff resident trailers. (That was a nice thing about my old residence - it was a house not a trailer.)
In moving from a house to a trailer, I've been needing to downsize and make decisions about what to keep, what to store, what to give away what to bring to my parent's place as I will be living there part-time and here at camp part-time when in school (the reason I'm switching residences at camp).
Like most folks, I have a shlew of pots, pans, et al. The night before "the visit", I had just moved a crate of some essential cookware I thought I might need. The cookware was actually in a crate right in front of the stove when I see the eyes looking at me. While moving the crate, removing the metal grate, and covering the entire stove top with cutting boards, I decided to simply leave the crate packed and bring it to my parent's place. And in that moment I decided I will not be cooking here and with that made another decision.
How do I as a vegan deal with the problem of rodents? Become a raw food vegan. (or at least, a raw food vegan while here at camp... for now.) The vegan-me adventure continues. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The rising value of food
I am in LA visiting my sister and her family for the week (thus, the delay in posting to this blog). To make sure my "rawer vegan diet" is being fed, this weekend I went to food markets to purchase fresh fruits and veggies. When at home, I don't really need to shop at grocery stores as much of my produce comes from the food pantry where I weekly volunteer, or from the kitchen at the camp where I work. Thus, this weekend was the first time in a long time I entered a store to buy food for myself. I was shocked by the prices I found! Surprised. Blow away. I had heard that food prices had risen because of the rising costs of fuel, but I could not believe what I was seeing as I walked down the aisles.
I discovered just how much more organic locally grown food really is, and how expensive fresh fruits and vegetables currently are. Thus, I realized how lucky I am to have access to the bounty of produce, which is always available in the refrigerators at camp, even though it is not organic but similar in quality to grocery stories. And I also realized how blessed I am when organic selections become available at the food pantry, which is stocked by Trader Joe's through the "scraps" pulled from the shelf when the "sell by" date is reached. The multitude of perfectly wholesome food would literally be taken to the dump, if it was not for the non-profit groups that thankfully and gratefully pick up the many many bags everyday. (The group I work with gets the Saturday and Sunday scraps from the Trader Joe's in Millbrae.)
With food costs on the rise, and me, personally seeing the domino effect that American lust and obsession with autos has created, it becomes even more of a horror for me now to see food go to waste. Each piece of fruit has so much more value - with value being assessed not just by the grocery bill factor.
Though the value of food is accentuated today because of its economic cost, vegan-me is also learning about how the value of food is increased because of its nutritional value.
When I share about my dietary transformation to vegetarian to vegan to now a "rawer vegan" (a vegan considering and transitioning into a raw foods diet), people always ask questions about something they assume I would be lacking, like protein or calcium, enjoyment or taste. To be honest, I've never felt like I had a good succinct answer as I still am coming to understand nutrition, what the body needs, what my body needs, the amino acids of protein, the purpose of calcium, and so forth. While the resources are helpful (to a point), some are confusing, others conflicting, a few overly technical with too much information, and a few too simplistic with no good explanation. It's been a challenge.
A resource I found recently by George Eisman, one of the nation's foremost educators on nutrition, has provided the simple clarity I've been looking for and needing. The author of The Most Noble Diet:Food Selection and Ethics, Eisman in his second work, A Basic Course in Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition, provides an excellent overview of the advantages of the vegan dietary, expert guidance on the "whys", and clear nutritional information with insightful illustrations. With my limited background and non-scientific mind, this resource has been a God-send.
A study-at-home course on basic nutrition, one copy is listed on Amazon for $49.99 + $3.99 shipping! I bought my copy for less than the cost of shipping -- $3.98 at Half Price Books in Berkeley. I value my brand new copy now more than ever, though copies are available for $21.95 from American Vegan. However, in the coming weeks, I will be highlighting (for FREE - a real value) some of the key nutritional insights I'm gleaning from the text related to protein, calcium, and other issues with which vegans are confronted.
For me, one of the key breakthroughs in my transition to a raw vegan diet is the simple realization that to benefit from the nutrition in raw plant foods, I will need to eat more. I'll explain why in the coming weeks, but the value of food is increasing in my life as I recognize the life-giving energy in whole, natural, unprocessed foods, as the Creator has intended.
Because of my limited financial resources, I was not able to purchase all organic vegetables and fruits for my time in Los Angeles this week. I did get to a local Farmer's Market for a few valuable purchases like large luscious locally grown apricots, but at the grocery stores, my most valuable purchase by far was a homemade local raw vegan chocolate brownie, which I've been enjoying (in small chunks) after each run - definitely worth the sticker shock $5.95 I paid!
Eisman writes, "We each must choose foods everyday, and in that choice some rippling effect takes place. Every dollar spent for food sends a message to food producers, some of which are the largest and most powerful corporations in the world. They are motivated by profit, and will respond to what is and what isn't consumed. Therein the power of the individual lies." (A Basic Course in Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition, p. 123)
I discovered just how much more organic locally grown food really is, and how expensive fresh fruits and vegetables currently are. Thus, I realized how lucky I am to have access to the bounty of produce, which is always available in the refrigerators at camp, even though it is not organic but similar in quality to grocery stories. And I also realized how blessed I am when organic selections become available at the food pantry, which is stocked by Trader Joe's through the "scraps" pulled from the shelf when the "sell by" date is reached. The multitude of perfectly wholesome food would literally be taken to the dump, if it was not for the non-profit groups that thankfully and gratefully pick up the many many bags everyday. (The group I work with gets the Saturday and Sunday scraps from the Trader Joe's in Millbrae.)
With food costs on the rise, and me, personally seeing the domino effect that American lust and obsession with autos has created, it becomes even more of a horror for me now to see food go to waste. Each piece of fruit has so much more value - with value being assessed not just by the grocery bill factor.
Though the value of food is accentuated today because of its economic cost, vegan-me is also learning about how the value of food is increased because of its nutritional value.
When I share about my dietary transformation to vegetarian to vegan to now a "rawer vegan" (a vegan considering and transitioning into a raw foods diet), people always ask questions about something they assume I would be lacking, like protein or calcium, enjoyment or taste. To be honest, I've never felt like I had a good succinct answer as I still am coming to understand nutrition, what the body needs, what my body needs, the amino acids of protein, the purpose of calcium, and so forth. While the resources are helpful (to a point), some are confusing, others conflicting, a few overly technical with too much information, and a few too simplistic with no good explanation. It's been a challenge.
A resource I found recently by George Eisman, one of the nation's foremost educators on nutrition, has provided the simple clarity I've been looking for and needing. The author of The Most Noble Diet:Food Selection and Ethics, Eisman in his second work, A Basic Course in Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition, provides an excellent overview of the advantages of the vegan dietary, expert guidance on the "whys", and clear nutritional information with insightful illustrations. With my limited background and non-scientific mind, this resource has been a God-send.A study-at-home course on basic nutrition, one copy is listed on Amazon for $49.99 + $3.99 shipping! I bought my copy for less than the cost of shipping -- $3.98 at Half Price Books in Berkeley. I value my brand new copy now more than ever, though copies are available for $21.95 from American Vegan. However, in the coming weeks, I will be highlighting (for FREE - a real value) some of the key nutritional insights I'm gleaning from the text related to protein, calcium, and other issues with which vegans are confronted.
For me, one of the key breakthroughs in my transition to a raw vegan diet is the simple realization that to benefit from the nutrition in raw plant foods, I will need to eat more. I'll explain why in the coming weeks, but the value of food is increasing in my life as I recognize the life-giving energy in whole, natural, unprocessed foods, as the Creator has intended.
Because of my limited financial resources, I was not able to purchase all organic vegetables and fruits for my time in Los Angeles this week. I did get to a local Farmer's Market for a few valuable purchases like large luscious locally grown apricots, but at the grocery stores, my most valuable purchase by far was a homemade local raw vegan chocolate brownie, which I've been enjoying (in small chunks) after each run - definitely worth the sticker shock $5.95 I paid!
Eisman writes, "We each must choose foods everyday, and in that choice some rippling effect takes place. Every dollar spent for food sends a message to food producers, some of which are the largest and most powerful corporations in the world. They are motivated by profit, and will respond to what is and what isn't consumed. Therein the power of the individual lies." (A Basic Course in Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition, p. 123)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
In the footsteps of Francis
Because vegan-me is in the midst of finishing up my first semester at the Franciscan School of Theology with a paper on St. Francis of Assisi and his relationship with creation, this week's blog is simply a reflective thought. It is an example from one of Francis' biographers of Francis' contemplation on creation, which led to his reverence of creation, and to his responsibility to embrace an environment ethic of sustainability. With news reports this week of global natural disasters, food shortages, polar bears on the extinction list, meat recalls, and more, may you be challenged by Francis' example to reflect on what creation is calling you to be and do, in terms of reverence and responsibility in our era of environmental crisis.
Thomas of Celano writes of St. Francis of Assisi:
He rejoices in all the works of the Lord's hands, and through their delightful display he gazes on their life-giving reason and cause. In beautiful things he discerns Beauty Itself; all things cry out to him: "The One who made us is the Best." Following the footprints imprinted on creatures, he follows his Beloved everywhere; out of them all he makes for himself a ladder by which he might reach the Throne. He embraces all things with an intensity of unheard devotion, speaking to them about the Lord and exhorting them to praise Him....
When the brothers are cutting wood he forbids them to cut down the whole tree, so that it might have hope of sprouting again. He commands the gardener to leave the edges of the garden undisturbed, so that in their season the green of herbs and the beauty of flowers may proclaim the beautiful Father of all. He even orders that within the garden a smaller garden should be set aside for aromatic and flowering herbs so that those who see them may recall the memory of eternal savor....
He calls all animals by a fraternal name, although, among all kinds of beast, he especially loves the meek (and those who are going extinct - a vegan-me editorial). Who is capable of describing all of this? Truly, that fountain-like goodness, which will be all in all, already shone clearly in all for this saint.
(From "The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul by Thomas of Celano" - 2C 165 in Francis of Assisi: The Founder: Early Documents, Volume 2, p. 353-354.)
Thomas of Celano writes of St. Francis of Assisi:
He rejoices in all the works of the Lord's hands, and through their delightful display he gazes on their life-giving reason and cause. In beautiful things he discerns Beauty Itself; all things cry out to him: "The One who made us is the Best." Following the footprints imprinted on creatures, he follows his Beloved everywhere; out of them all he makes for himself a ladder by which he might reach the Throne. He embraces all things with an intensity of unheard devotion, speaking to them about the Lord and exhorting them to praise Him....When the brothers are cutting wood he forbids them to cut down the whole tree, so that it might have hope of sprouting again. He commands the gardener to leave the edges of the garden undisturbed, so that in their season the green of herbs and the beauty of flowers may proclaim the beautiful Father of all. He even orders that within the garden a smaller garden should be set aside for aromatic and flowering herbs so that those who see them may recall the memory of eternal savor....
He calls all animals by a fraternal name, although, among all kinds of beast, he especially loves the meek (and those who are going extinct - a vegan-me editorial). Who is capable of describing all of this? Truly, that fountain-like goodness, which will be all in all, already shone clearly in all for this saint.
(From "The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul by Thomas of Celano" - 2C 165 in Francis of Assisi: The Founder: Early Documents, Volume 2, p. 353-354.)
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Restaurant review: CAFÉ GRATITUDE
"There's something wonderful about going to a restaurant and being able to order anything from the menu."
Those were the words of delight from my cousin the other day as I treated her out for a much belated birthday meal at Café Gratitude, a raw vegan restaurant. This was my first time at Café Gratitude, and her first time at the original location just blocks from her and her husband's new home in the Mission.
After Mother's Day dinner with my parents this weekend, when my selections at the very nice Italian restaurant were extremely slim, my cousin's words ring especially true. I thoroughly enjoyed the total splurge at Café Gratitude with drinks, appetizer, main entrée, and dessert. And though the $50 I spent felt steep, it was definitely worth it in comparison to the $75 I spent on Mother's Day, for a salad and soup, which left my taste buds longing for something more.
I am grateful for places like Café Gratitude, which I am discovering. Actually, on my first visit, I was not only "grateful" but I was also "insightful" (with spring rolls), "graceful" (with Indian Bahraini), "youthful" (with fresh almond milk) and "adoring" (with tiramisu). My cousin found herself "insightful" and "adoring" also, but in addition she was "accepting" (with a sushi bowl) and "effervescent" (with house ginger ale).
Just reflecting on our meal after my Mother's Day dinner "rations", I am reliving the taste bud sensations. Aha... It was a divinely delightful experience. There is little to critique, other than I wish there was a location near my place and that the meals weren't so expensive. Yet, I recognize the fresh tastes, the organic ingredients, and care given to ensure quality, especially during challenging economic times, so I understand the prices. I just wish my employer would understand that too when it comes to my paycheck!
While the food feeds the body, the café is also intended to feed the soul. Each item on the menu is named "I am ____", followed by a positive attribute to reflect the philosophy and lifestyle which gave rise to this "movement", now in four locations -- San Francisco in the Mission and Sunset, Berkeley, and the newest location, San Rafael.
Based on their life journeys, Matthew & Terces Engelhart developed the Abounding River board game in 2002 to share their experiences with others. The purpose of the game is to help people transform from a place of scarcity to a place of abundance. It's about "being abundance", training people in a day to day practice as well as discovering a spiritual foundation that opens up to a whole new way of looking at money and resources. The Engelharts want people to experience themselves as being the source of unlimited supply.
After leading workshops based on the game around the country, the couple felt that the next step was opening a gaming parlor that served food - a raw food gaming parlor. Café Gratitude was born, with original recipes developed by Terces, vegetarian and raw with no wheat, dairy, or sugar.
As the website, which features the beautiful artwork of the board game, states: "Café Gratitude is our expression of a world of plenty. Our food and people are a celebration of our aliveness. We select the finest organic ingredients to honor the earth and ourselves, as we are one and the same. We support local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly products. Our food is prepared with love."
You can literally taste the love while there, as well as play the game. While my cousin and I really didn't know about the gaming parlor aspects while there for nearly 2 hours, we did feel the love as we enjoyed good food, encouraging conversation, and friendly wait staff who answered questions, and even let me look at a recipe book to see ingredients in the desserts! It was sweet, and I am "thankful" as I eagerly awaiting the next opportunity to get there again, to not just enjoy the food, but to play the game and to be "abundance" as well.
Those were the words of delight from my cousin the other day as I treated her out for a much belated birthday meal at Café Gratitude, a raw vegan restaurant. This was my first time at Café Gratitude, and her first time at the original location just blocks from her and her husband's new home in the Mission.After Mother's Day dinner with my parents this weekend, when my selections at the very nice Italian restaurant were extremely slim, my cousin's words ring especially true. I thoroughly enjoyed the total splurge at Café Gratitude with drinks, appetizer, main entrée, and dessert. And though the $50 I spent felt steep, it was definitely worth it in comparison to the $75 I spent on Mother's Day, for a salad and soup, which left my taste buds longing for something more.
I am grateful for places like Café Gratitude, which I am discovering. Actually, on my first visit, I was not only "grateful" but I was also "insightful" (with spring rolls), "graceful" (with Indian Bahraini), "youthful" (with fresh almond milk) and "adoring" (with tiramisu). My cousin found herself "insightful" and "adoring" also, but in addition she was "accepting" (with a sushi bowl) and "effervescent" (with house ginger ale).
Just reflecting on our meal after my Mother's Day dinner "rations", I am reliving the taste bud sensations. Aha... It was a divinely delightful experience. There is little to critique, other than I wish there was a location near my place and that the meals weren't so expensive. Yet, I recognize the fresh tastes, the organic ingredients, and care given to ensure quality, especially during challenging economic times, so I understand the prices. I just wish my employer would understand that too when it comes to my paycheck!
While the food feeds the body, the café is also intended to feed the soul. Each item on the menu is named "I am ____", followed by a positive attribute to reflect the philosophy and lifestyle which gave rise to this "movement", now in four locations -- San Francisco in the Mission and Sunset, Berkeley, and the newest location, San Rafael.
Based on their life journeys, Matthew & Terces Engelhart developed the Abounding River board game in 2002 to share their experiences with others. The purpose of the game is to help people transform from a place of scarcity to a place of abundance. It's about "being abundance", training people in a day to day practice as well as discovering a spiritual foundation that opens up to a whole new way of looking at money and resources. The Engelharts want people to experience themselves as being the source of unlimited supply.
After leading workshops based on the game around the country, the couple felt that the next step was opening a gaming parlor that served food - a raw food gaming parlor. Café Gratitude was born, with original recipes developed by Terces, vegetarian and raw with no wheat, dairy, or sugar.
As the website, which features the beautiful artwork of the board game, states: "Café Gratitude is our expression of a world of plenty. Our food and people are a celebration of our aliveness. We select the finest organic ingredients to honor the earth and ourselves, as we are one and the same. We support local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly products. Our food is prepared with love."
You can literally taste the love while there, as well as play the game. While my cousin and I really didn't know about the gaming parlor aspects while there for nearly 2 hours, we did feel the love as we enjoyed good food, encouraging conversation, and friendly wait staff who answered questions, and even let me look at a recipe book to see ingredients in the desserts! It was sweet, and I am "thankful" as I eagerly awaiting the next opportunity to get there again, to not just enjoy the food, but to play the game and to be "abundance" as well.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
A bug's life
While journaling this morning, a huge moth came flying out from under the table and nearly knocked me in the face. Spring has sprung here up in the mountains. The bugs are finding new life. And vegan-me is working through what it means to live with compassionate care for ALL of God's creatures, including those "non-sentient" (aka "not able to feel or emotionally respond ") creatures, like moths and the summer dread up here at camp, mosquitoes.Vegan values embrace compassionate care for all life, which means honoring all that God has made, including insects, bugs, and rodents. While it is easy to care for "sentient creatures" like cows and dogs, it often becomes a stretch to see the rationale in respecting those creatures that don't have emotional capacity, which are simply annoyances. For me, it is an issue of integrity, which is an important value in my life. Thus, I maintain true to my commitment to compassionate care for all of creation, respecting the life of the "non-sentient", and tolerating those pesky bugs that emerge as the spring warms into summer.
As Joanne Stepaniak writes, "For vegans, the issue isn't finding a reason not to kill but learning what it means to honor life." (Being Vegan, p. 31)
Luckily last summer (my first vegan summer), mosquitoes were not a problem, but it is still an exercise in restraint, not squashing one that has landed, ready to bite. I shake and blow instead, and it seems to work for me. And with bees during barbecues at the picnic area, I simply do not bother them and they do not bother me.
Inside, I am learning "compassionate bug capture" for those moths that get in and fruit flies that like my produce. I have a clear plastic cup, which I use to enclose them when they land on a wall or window. I then slip a piece of paper underneath to escort my "new friends" from my home to theirs, out the front door so they can fly and be free, and no longer bother me! Spiders I've learned to ignore, and luckily, I've not had to face ant swarms or rodent invasions in my place. If I do, you'll probably read it on the blog as I cross that ethical vegan dilemma when the time comes.
Though creatures like that are bothersome as the weather warms, I am thankful for the beauty of butterflies that also emerge this time of year. At times there will be one or two which accompany me on a run along portion of our back trails. As I reflect on their transformation from bug to butterfly, they remind me of the many ways my life has been transformed over the years, and I am thankful for the new beauty I see in me as I run.
There are lessons to learn about the Creator from all of creation, including those pesky insects. The author of Proverbs writes: "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces." (Proverbs 30:24-28)
Startled by the moth earlier this morning, I followed it with my eyes as it flew around a bit before settling and landing. I quietly and slowly found my "bug capture cup" and proceeded to gently but quickly surround it, which I did. I wiggled it around to get it off the ground as the paper slipped underneath. I escorted it out, and released it. "Fly and be free."
Though not as beautiful as the butterflies on the trail, moths too are transformed. With their abundance around camp, they remind me of the transformations, which continue to occur in my life, which are not big, bold, and beautiful, but take place in the mundane decisions of everyday life around here. As I reflect on those, vegan-me is thankful. God is good, as I choose to praise the Creator, even for insects and bugs. We'll see however how thankful I am for mosquitoes this season.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
No rush
When I began back in school earlier this year, I also began spending a few nights at my parent's home each week as public transportation to and from campus is readily accessible. As much as I am learning about Franciscan Creation Theology, I am also learning what it means to be an adult child living part-time with aging parents.
One key lesson I've learned in the past month: When on a run between 10-12 noon, "NO RUSH". If I complete a run and return home during those late morning hours, I am greeted by the voice of Rush Limbaugh and conservative political commentary blaring from the kitchen radio. If I slow down the run, I can quite literally, "avoid the Rush."
As vegan values emerge in my life, they are creating views regarding politics, religion, and food, which are very different from my parents, who often do not understand the reasons for some of my lifestyle choices, in spite my best attempts to explain them. While I respect my parents' perspectives, they are definitely not mine, and I have on a few occasions asked them if they were not listening (and especially not in the room), if I could turn off the radio, creating interesting conversation but also uneasy quiet.
Dinners each week continue to be an interesting experience as my dietary choices have shifted over the past year. Just this past week, as we sat down for dinner, I had a big bowl of greens topped with a raw vegan veggie curry (yummy) while my parents had rotisserie chicken, pasta, and zucchini. My mom put two pieces of chicken on her plate, and my dad's comment to her: "Is that ALL the meat you're taking?", implying of course that she should take more. Passive-aggressive? If you know my father, probably yeah.
In the midst of my dietary decisions, my mom does her best to understand and to support me. Yet I know from her passing comments that she does not always agree, especially when it comes to issues related to food and the environment as she has implied that she is still not convinced of global warming. I know I cannot change my parents perspectives (though I would like to). My desire is to help them understand mine.
Along with listening to Rush in the morning, my parents also read the newspaper. In looking through the paper this week with them, I discovered a new weekly food columnist, EcoChef, Aaron French. His first article: "Lower your carbon - cholesterol may follow."
Many of my parent's friends have high cholesterol and diabetes, which has created numerous opportunities over dinner for me to discuss diet, disease, and my dietary decisions with them. The EcoChef article clearly articulates the environmental connection with diet that they do not fully grasp, which is foundational to my vegan life. I shared it with my mom, who initially noticed the word, "carbon" (aka "carbon footprint" implying "global warming"), and gave me that "let's not go there" look.
I told her that the article reflects many of my perspectives on food and the environment, and that I wanted to keep it. She said to take it, but I asked her first to read it then save it for me. When I returned from my run at 12:05 pm, the kitchen was quiet, there was "no Rush", and the article was neatly folded on the table.
I have not yet asked my mom what she thought about the article. I am learning that with my parents, it is best not to push, but to be patient, to plant seeds, and to allow the process to naturally unfold. As I was officially accepted full-time this week into the Master of Theological Studies program at the Franciscan School of Theology, I know that over the next two years, there will be many more opportunities over dinner to talk. Thus, there is "no rush".
One key lesson I've learned in the past month: When on a run between 10-12 noon, "NO RUSH". If I complete a run and return home during those late morning hours, I am greeted by the voice of Rush Limbaugh and conservative political commentary blaring from the kitchen radio. If I slow down the run, I can quite literally, "avoid the Rush."
As vegan values emerge in my life, they are creating views regarding politics, religion, and food, which are very different from my parents, who often do not understand the reasons for some of my lifestyle choices, in spite my best attempts to explain them. While I respect my parents' perspectives, they are definitely not mine, and I have on a few occasions asked them if they were not listening (and especially not in the room), if I could turn off the radio, creating interesting conversation but also uneasy quiet.
Dinners each week continue to be an interesting experience as my dietary choices have shifted over the past year. Just this past week, as we sat down for dinner, I had a big bowl of greens topped with a raw vegan veggie curry (yummy) while my parents had rotisserie chicken, pasta, and zucchini. My mom put two pieces of chicken on her plate, and my dad's comment to her: "Is that ALL the meat you're taking?", implying of course that she should take more. Passive-aggressive? If you know my father, probably yeah.
In the midst of my dietary decisions, my mom does her best to understand and to support me. Yet I know from her passing comments that she does not always agree, especially when it comes to issues related to food and the environment as she has implied that she is still not convinced of global warming. I know I cannot change my parents perspectives (though I would like to). My desire is to help them understand mine.
Along with listening to Rush in the morning, my parents also read the newspaper. In looking through the paper this week with them, I discovered a new weekly food columnist, EcoChef, Aaron French. His first article: "Lower your carbon - cholesterol may follow."
Many of my parent's friends have high cholesterol and diabetes, which has created numerous opportunities over dinner for me to discuss diet, disease, and my dietary decisions with them. The EcoChef article clearly articulates the environmental connection with diet that they do not fully grasp, which is foundational to my vegan life. I shared it with my mom, who initially noticed the word, "carbon" (aka "carbon footprint" implying "global warming"), and gave me that "let's not go there" look.
I told her that the article reflects many of my perspectives on food and the environment, and that I wanted to keep it. She said to take it, but I asked her first to read it then save it for me. When I returned from my run at 12:05 pm, the kitchen was quiet, there was "no Rush", and the article was neatly folded on the table.
I have not yet asked my mom what she thought about the article. I am learning that with my parents, it is best not to push, but to be patient, to plant seeds, and to allow the process to naturally unfold. As I was officially accepted full-time this week into the Master of Theological Studies program at the Franciscan School of Theology, I know that over the next two years, there will be many more opportunities over dinner to talk. Thus, there is "no rush".
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Why?
It's been about a year since I officially crossed the line to vegetarianism. It's been about 10 months since I officially embraced a vegan lifestyle. Over these past few weeks, I've been considering another dietary transition as I have been reading about and trying out aspects of a "raw vegan diet".
What was initially "Raw Mondays" began turning into "Raw Other Days" as I found myself enjoying the experience, struggling at times, but finding it very intriguing to consider what "raw foodism" is all about.
While I've not made any "official" transitions, all this is causing me to ask myself again, "WHY?" Why do I do what I do? Why do I choose certain foods, a certain lifestyle, certain values?
With Earth Day coming up on Tuesday, April 22nd, I was asked to speak to a church congregation today about environmental issues. My intention was to have them each consider "WHY" they do what they do when it comes to the world God has created.
Using St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures, I shared the one word I believe to be the theological foundation of Franciscan Creation Theology = "fraternitas". Because God is our Creator, the Source of all, our Father, Mother, Parent, we are in essence related to all else that God has made, one family living together in the one home we call earth.
I believe our brotherhood/sisterhood (our fraternitas) with all of creation should be the framework for our choices. In looking at Sister Water, Eric Doyle, a Franciscan theologian in his book, The Song of Brotherhood and Sisterhood writes: "Water is a creature like (ourselves). As a creature, water is our sister, and it is hardly normal to pour toxic acid into your sister!" (p. 56). How we treat members in our biological family as we consider their needs is how we are to treat members in our "cosmic family".
Why do I make some of the choices I do in terms of my diet and lifestyle? It is because of compassion, my desire to live in harmonious relationship with all my brothers and sisters, human and non-human, everything that finds life in the same God who gives life to me, too.
When it comes to a raw vegan diet, I know that 100% raw will not work for me. Compassion is too great a value in my life. While I have compassion for animals and the natural world, I also want to live in compassion with my human brothers and sisters. I do not want my dietary decisions of ahimsa to offend someone who has gone out of their way to serve me. Thus, I make dietary exceptions. I guess I'm really a vegan, a "compassionate % of the time". Though it is not often I will stray at this juncture, I do not allow legalism of a dietary decision to keep me from caring for another.
I am encouraged because I see that in Francis of Assisi. The story is told that while on a strict diet, Francis saw one of his brothers who was very sick and needed food but refused to eat because he wanted to show how holy he really was. Francis, out of compassion, took grapes and ate them first, breaking his dietary holiness to encourage his brother to eat. Compassion.
Earth Day is on Tuesday. It is a good time, I believe, for each of us to consider again why we do what do, why we make the choices we make each day. I pray that compassion for the earth, compassion for all your brother and sisters in the cosmic family will become the foundation of daily decisions for you.
What was initially "Raw Mondays" began turning into "Raw Other Days" as I found myself enjoying the experience, struggling at times, but finding it very intriguing to consider what "raw foodism" is all about.
While I've not made any "official" transitions, all this is causing me to ask myself again, "WHY?" Why do I do what I do? Why do I choose certain foods, a certain lifestyle, certain values?
With Earth Day coming up on Tuesday, April 22nd, I was asked to speak to a church congregation today about environmental issues. My intention was to have them each consider "WHY" they do what they do when it comes to the world God has created.
Using St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures, I shared the one word I believe to be the theological foundation of Franciscan Creation Theology = "fraternitas". Because God is our Creator, the Source of all, our Father, Mother, Parent, we are in essence related to all else that God has made, one family living together in the one home we call earth.
I believe our brotherhood/sisterhood (our fraternitas) with all of creation should be the framework for our choices. In looking at Sister Water, Eric Doyle, a Franciscan theologian in his book, The Song of Brotherhood and Sisterhood writes: "Water is a creature like (ourselves). As a creature, water is our sister, and it is hardly normal to pour toxic acid into your sister!" (p. 56). How we treat members in our biological family as we consider their needs is how we are to treat members in our "cosmic family".
Why do I make some of the choices I do in terms of my diet and lifestyle? It is because of compassion, my desire to live in harmonious relationship with all my brothers and sisters, human and non-human, everything that finds life in the same God who gives life to me, too.
When it comes to a raw vegan diet, I know that 100% raw will not work for me. Compassion is too great a value in my life. While I have compassion for animals and the natural world, I also want to live in compassion with my human brothers and sisters. I do not want my dietary decisions of ahimsa to offend someone who has gone out of their way to serve me. Thus, I make dietary exceptions. I guess I'm really a vegan, a "compassionate % of the time". Though it is not often I will stray at this juncture, I do not allow legalism of a dietary decision to keep me from caring for another.
I am encouraged because I see that in Francis of Assisi. The story is told that while on a strict diet, Francis saw one of his brothers who was very sick and needed food but refused to eat because he wanted to show how holy he really was. Francis, out of compassion, took grapes and ate them first, breaking his dietary holiness to encourage his brother to eat. Compassion.
Earth Day is on Tuesday. It is a good time, I believe, for each of us to consider again why we do what do, why we make the choices we make each day. I pray that compassion for the earth, compassion for all your brother and sisters in the cosmic family will become the foundation of daily decisions for you.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
You run some. You lose some. Praise God anyway.
My plan for TODAY was to run 13.1 miles in the Santa Cruz Half-Marathon. The only problem: The event occurred YESTERDAY, and I totally missed it. I had it in my calendar for today, April 13, and since registering and paying $55, I could have sworn it was on the Sunday of this weekend, but no. It was on the Saturday, April 12. And unfortunately I didn't discover my error until Saturday morning, as I finally sat down to read the reminder emails with parking instructions, route information, and so forth.
People have different motivations in running, and one motivation for me has been food. Missing the race, I "eat" the pre-registration fee, and I lose out on eating what had been my motivation for running this race an hour away in Santa Cruz. After the 13.1 miles I was going to treat myself to vegan chocolate cake at Black China Bakery! Missing out on vegan chocolate cake is probably the most disappointing part of missing the run today (along with losing the registration fee).
I've never been to Black China Bakery before, but after my cousin gave me some vegan chocolate goodies for Christmas from there, a pilgrimage to their location has been my great eating desire. I guess I'll just need to find another excuse to head down there.
In the meantime, with the warmth of spring filling the forest, I will go for a nice leisurely run, clear my head, and enjoy the wonder of new life blooming all around. I may have missed the race, but I will not miss the opportunity today to go out and praise God with all creation for the beauty the Creator has made. I hope you'll find sometime to get out today and enjoy God as well. No matter what happens in life, I believe it is important to praise God anyway.
As I am in the midst of my studies this semester at the Franciscan School of Theology, doing a comparative study of the Canticle of the Creations, may these words of St Francis of Assisi fill you with praise as you rejoice in who God is through all that God has made.
Spring has sprung and the miracle of new life is blooming all over. Let us join with all creation in praise of our Creator.
THE CANTICLE OF THE CREATURES
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours be the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and who is worthy to mention your name?
Praised be You, my lord, with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather
through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be you, my Lord, through those who give pardon for your love
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.
(If you are interested in watching a YouTube video of the interpretation of the Canticle in "Brother Sun, Sister Moon", the 1972 classic of Francis' life, click here.)
.
People have different motivations in running, and one motivation for me has been food. Missing the race, I "eat" the pre-registration fee, and I lose out on eating what had been my motivation for running this race an hour away in Santa Cruz. After the 13.1 miles I was going to treat myself to vegan chocolate cake at Black China Bakery! Missing out on vegan chocolate cake is probably the most disappointing part of missing the run today (along with losing the registration fee).I've never been to Black China Bakery before, but after my cousin gave me some vegan chocolate goodies for Christmas from there, a pilgrimage to their location has been my great eating desire. I guess I'll just need to find another excuse to head down there.
In the meantime, with the warmth of spring filling the forest, I will go for a nice leisurely run, clear my head, and enjoy the wonder of new life blooming all around. I may have missed the race, but I will not miss the opportunity today to go out and praise God with all creation for the beauty the Creator has made. I hope you'll find sometime to get out today and enjoy God as well. No matter what happens in life, I believe it is important to praise God anyway.
As I am in the midst of my studies this semester at the Franciscan School of Theology, doing a comparative study of the Canticle of the Creations, may these words of St Francis of Assisi fill you with praise as you rejoice in who God is through all that God has made.
Spring has sprung and the miracle of new life is blooming all over. Let us join with all creation in praise of our Creator.
THE CANTICLE OF THE CREATURESMost High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours be the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and who is worthy to mention your name?
Praised be You, my lord, with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather
through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be you, my Lord, through those who give pardon for your love
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.
(If you are interested in watching a YouTube video of the interpretation of the Canticle in "Brother Sun, Sister Moon", the 1972 classic of Francis' life, click here.)
.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
MY VEGGIE TALE: Part 3 - a freezer story
(For Part 1 - a weight loss story - see October 21, 2007)
(For Part 2 - a running story - see December 9, 2007)
While searching through the mysterious depths of my overly packed freezer, I discovered this week a bagged plate of frozen leftovers labeled "Paesano P/C with tort". I regularly make meals and freeze them, but oddly I did not remember this one. When I opened it up, I quickly identified the "tort" as "tortellini", but it took a few moments for me to realize that the big brown frozen "PC" glob in the container was ... a Pork Chop! How long has THAT been in there? I had no idea.
Pondering where it came from, I was reminded that just over a year ago I officially made the transition from "part-time meat eater" to "full-time vegetarian". I had been a vegetarian before (see Veggie Tale: Part 1), but did not eat healthy thus I gained a lot of weight. To lose the weight I adopted a healthy carnivore diet. I began running (see Veggie Tale: Part 2), and dropped 40 pounds. (NOTE: If you read Part 2, you'll now need to wait until Part 4 to find out the results of my first marathon).
About two years ago I read a book entitled, "What the Bible Says About Healthy Living", by Rex Rusell, which challenged me to make my fairly healthy diet, even more healthy. The three principles around which the book centers:
1. Eat only substances God created for food. Avoid what is not designed for food.
2. As much as possible, eat food as they were created - before they are changed or converted into something humans think might be better.
3. Avoid food addictions. Don't let any food or drink become your god.
What I found most insightful was his interpretation of the dietary laws in the Old Testament. He demonstrates how these regulations are really God's prescription for healthy eating. Disease (or you could say, "punishment") results when these food principles are violated and not followed. For example, he describes the digestive system of a pig as opposed to a cow. While a cow chews it cud, which gets digested multiple times, a pig eats and what it eats is immediately digested in the stomach. This means that if a pig which as a scavenger eats slop, and then you eat the pig, you've just eaten the scavenged, rotten and diseased slop. Not very clean or healthy, thus the reason for God's prohibition of pork in the diet.
The main applications from the book for me became: (1) Avoid pork and shell fish (which are filters of ocean slop). (2) Avoid refined foods like sugar and white flour. There is more, but I was convicted to incorporate these into my new eating practices, and over the next months, I lost another 5 pounds.
I live at a camp and conference facility where meals are provided for staff members. When I was eating anything, meals were no problem. I'd head to the staff dining hall and eat whatever, which is mostly (I am sad to say), meaty and fatty, with lots of refined foods. Because I was exercising, I was working off the calories and fat. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues do not, and well, I won't go into that. It's been a challenge talking with some of the kitchen staff about nutrition and healthier foods, and challenging them to make changes. They are "old-school" camp cooks.
When I decided to not consume refined foods and not eat pork and shell fish, it created all sorts of "huh?" The kitchen wasn't sure what to do about that, what to make of me. One of my colleagues is a vegetarian, and so are many of the part-time naturalists at camp. The kitchen had figured out how to feed them, but to feed me was confusing. It was easier to tell the kitchen staff that I was cutting back on carbs, and eating vegetarian, though I might eat meat on occasion. As I began to pay attention to the quality of food the kitchen was serving, wanting more whole and natural foods, I began to cut back on meat, and found myself choosing to eat meat once a day, if that.
The turning point in my vegetarian transition came just over a year ago. Because I was eating a 99%vegetarian diet by that time, the kitchen began to forget that I still claimed to be a "partial vegetarian" (or a vegetarian when I didn't want to eat what the kitchen was cooking, which was becoming more frequent). During one meal, I decided to try the meat entry the kitchen had prepared. Seeing my plate, one of the cooks said to me very sarcastically, "Why are YOU eating that? I thought YOU were a vegetarian."
I was shocked and taken aback by her attitude and tone. I don't remember my response, but I played it off. Integrity is important to me (see last's week's blog). And with the integrity of my words and actions questioned, that became the turning point. I decided right after that to cross the line, and admit to myself and tell others, "Yes, I am now a 100% vegetarian. I choose to not eat the flesh of animals or fish."
Though I've had my "oops" moments over the past year, I have not missed eating meat, and I've never looked back. In fact, I moved forward to choosing a vegan life, and even now, I am looking into a raw vegan diet, but that is for another entry in this blog.
The "Paesano P/C with tort" is now out of the freezer, in the fridge as I figure out what to do. I know I will not eat it. I have no desire to eat it. And the thought of eating the pork chop actually repulses me. It's a BIG hunk of dead animal (aka "meat"). I don't like to waste food, but I will probably throw it out. I could eat the tortellini and dump the pork chop. Or I could save it for some meat eater who comes to visit, but probably not, especially after being in the freezer for over 2 years, which is my best guess. I really do need to clean out my freezer more often.
(For Part 2 - a running story - see December 9, 2007)
While searching through the mysterious depths of my overly packed freezer, I discovered this week a bagged plate of frozen leftovers labeled "Paesano P/C with tort". I regularly make meals and freeze them, but oddly I did not remember this one. When I opened it up, I quickly identified the "tort" as "tortellini", but it took a few moments for me to realize that the big brown frozen "PC" glob in the container was ... a Pork Chop! How long has THAT been in there? I had no idea.
Pondering where it came from, I was reminded that just over a year ago I officially made the transition from "part-time meat eater" to "full-time vegetarian". I had been a vegetarian before (see Veggie Tale: Part 1), but did not eat healthy thus I gained a lot of weight. To lose the weight I adopted a healthy carnivore diet. I began running (see Veggie Tale: Part 2), and dropped 40 pounds. (NOTE: If you read Part 2, you'll now need to wait until Part 4 to find out the results of my first marathon).
About two years ago I read a book entitled, "What the Bible Says About Healthy Living", by Rex Rusell, which challenged me to make my fairly healthy diet, even more healthy. The three principles around which the book centers:
1. Eat only substances God created for food. Avoid what is not designed for food.
2. As much as possible, eat food as they were created - before they are changed or converted into something humans think might be better.
3. Avoid food addictions. Don't let any food or drink become your god.
What I found most insightful was his interpretation of the dietary laws in the Old Testament. He demonstrates how these regulations are really God's prescription for healthy eating. Disease (or you could say, "punishment") results when these food principles are violated and not followed. For example, he describes the digestive system of a pig as opposed to a cow. While a cow chews it cud, which gets digested multiple times, a pig eats and what it eats is immediately digested in the stomach. This means that if a pig which as a scavenger eats slop, and then you eat the pig, you've just eaten the scavenged, rotten and diseased slop. Not very clean or healthy, thus the reason for God's prohibition of pork in the diet.
The main applications from the book for me became: (1) Avoid pork and shell fish (which are filters of ocean slop). (2) Avoid refined foods like sugar and white flour. There is more, but I was convicted to incorporate these into my new eating practices, and over the next months, I lost another 5 pounds.
I live at a camp and conference facility where meals are provided for staff members. When I was eating anything, meals were no problem. I'd head to the staff dining hall and eat whatever, which is mostly (I am sad to say), meaty and fatty, with lots of refined foods. Because I was exercising, I was working off the calories and fat. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues do not, and well, I won't go into that. It's been a challenge talking with some of the kitchen staff about nutrition and healthier foods, and challenging them to make changes. They are "old-school" camp cooks.
When I decided to not consume refined foods and not eat pork and shell fish, it created all sorts of "huh?" The kitchen wasn't sure what to do about that, what to make of me. One of my colleagues is a vegetarian, and so are many of the part-time naturalists at camp. The kitchen had figured out how to feed them, but to feed me was confusing. It was easier to tell the kitchen staff that I was cutting back on carbs, and eating vegetarian, though I might eat meat on occasion. As I began to pay attention to the quality of food the kitchen was serving, wanting more whole and natural foods, I began to cut back on meat, and found myself choosing to eat meat once a day, if that.
The turning point in my vegetarian transition came just over a year ago. Because I was eating a 99%vegetarian diet by that time, the kitchen began to forget that I still claimed to be a "partial vegetarian" (or a vegetarian when I didn't want to eat what the kitchen was cooking, which was becoming more frequent). During one meal, I decided to try the meat entry the kitchen had prepared. Seeing my plate, one of the cooks said to me very sarcastically, "Why are YOU eating that? I thought YOU were a vegetarian."
I was shocked and taken aback by her attitude and tone. I don't remember my response, but I played it off. Integrity is important to me (see last's week's blog). And with the integrity of my words and actions questioned, that became the turning point. I decided right after that to cross the line, and admit to myself and tell others, "Yes, I am now a 100% vegetarian. I choose to not eat the flesh of animals or fish."
Though I've had my "oops" moments over the past year, I have not missed eating meat, and I've never looked back. In fact, I moved forward to choosing a vegan life, and even now, I am looking into a raw vegan diet, but that is for another entry in this blog.
The "Paesano P/C with tort" is now out of the freezer, in the fridge as I figure out what to do. I know I will not eat it. I have no desire to eat it. And the thought of eating the pork chop actually repulses me. It's a BIG hunk of dead animal (aka "meat"). I don't like to waste food, but I will probably throw it out. I could eat the tortellini and dump the pork chop. Or I could save it for some meat eater who comes to visit, but probably not, especially after being in the freezer for over 2 years, which is my best guess. I really do need to clean out my freezer more often.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Look into my "I's"
While I enjoyed writing the six-part Lenten series on vegan principles, I am glad it is over. Each entry required a lot of time, thought, and emotional energy as I paused to consider how I am living out each of the values of ahimsa. This reinforced but also challenged my convictions.
The week of "I is for INTEGRITY" was especially humbling as I found myself tripping over hypocrisy in my "non-vegan" life (way outside the realm of this blog). Caught in "the act", I was forced to face my blind spots and some inconsistencies in a few value-based choices. This revelation caused me to begin questioning the integrity in my "vegan life", especially the exceptions in my vegan diet. Do my "vegan exceptions" discredit my integrity and thus, mar my character? May be the time had come to eliminate all exceptions and fully live "animal free" in consistent integrity as a vegan. I needed to at least try.
As I have blogged, my exceptions are:
1. Dining out
2. Indian buffets
3. The "celebration dessert"
And of course... 4. Chocolate cake
During Lent, I dined out with my parent's for my mom's birthday. At the restaurant, I intentionally asked the wait staff to make my meal vegan. While Caesar salad was the standard for the restaurant, our server prepped a special salad for me with oil and vinegar. However, the "vegan pasta" I requested came with cheese sprinkled all over the top. I explained to her that "vegan" includes "no cheese", but rather than asking her to take it back, and thus wasting the food, I decided to keep it and tried to scrape off the melted cheese to no avail. I ended up eating the meal, but did not enjoy it as my intentional attempt to eat vegan while dining out failed.
Over Lent, I also went out with some friends, and each time, rather than dine at an Indian buffet, which typically serves North Indian cuisine, I intentionally requested we try South Indian cuisine, which tends to be vegan-friendly. I visited two different places: Annapoorna in San Mateo, and Dasaprakash in Santa Clara. In both instances, I specifically asked for vegan substitutions. Learning from the dining experience with my parents, and reading in a vegan resource about the need to be very specific, I explained to the wait staff what not to include in my thali. The server said he would switch out the curries, and in both restaurants, everything was delicious, though the food at Dasaprakash tended to feel "oiler". As I become more familiar with Southern Indian food, I hope to check these places out again and review them. Let me know if you'd like to check them out with me!
As a cake was cut at one celebration during Lent, I was asked point blank by the hostess, "You do eat this, don't you?" Not wanting to offend, I said, "Sure", and was handed a piece. As I headed to the kitchen to get soy milk to go with the basic white cake (which I really didn't want to eat), I soon discovered that other guests were choosing not to take a slice = "I'm too full." "I'm on a diet." I stood there with my cake thinking, "I'm on a diet too - a vegan diet. Why didn't I just say, 'No, but thank you'?"
During Lent, I also began playing around with my vegan chocolate cake recipe. I also began creating a few new recipes, which I will post in the coming weeks. I am discovering that I enjoy experimenting with vegan dishes, and learning about food. How to enhance chocolate flavors in vegan desserts is one current curiosity.
While I was able to uphold my vegan integrity in a few situations during Lent, I did "totally screw up", or at least, I felt like I had failed in others - all because of something I chose to eat! There were moments I felt really guilty, like I had been caught in some great trespass. I want to honor the Creator through my lifestyle, choices, and integrity, but there I am eating cake, which I didn't want, didn't need, but felt forced to take. Guilt.
In one of his sermons, 13th century Franciscan Anthony of Padua said,
"Do you want to carry God in your heart everyday? Look constantly at yourself. Where your eye is, there is your heart. Keep your eyes fixed constantly on yourself. I mention three items: your heart, your eye, yourself. God is in your heart, your heart is in your eye, your eye is in you. So, if you are looking at yourself, you are looking at God in you. Do you want to have God in your heart everyday? Then, be what God has created you to be. Do not look for another I in yourself. Do not try to be anything other than what God created you to be, and you will constantly have God in your heart." (emphasis added)
When guilt-ridden, I know that I am looking for the "other I in myself." The "other I" is "the perfect vegan", "the perfect Jesus follower", "the perfect student", "the perfect employee", "the perfect friend", "the perfect adult child of my parents". There is an ideal I have of myself, and when I do not live up to this ideal, I feel like a failure. My vegan "other I" wants me to feel bad about my blind spots, my exceptions, my lapses in judgment.
I might know of God's grace intellectually, but I'm stilling growing in my knowledge of God's grace experientially. The God I trust is the God of grace, the God who showed the full extent of divine love through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, which we remembered just last week during Easter. I trust that God looks at me with love and compassion, especially as I strive to make the best vegan choices I can as I choose to gaze upon all that God has made with the same love and compassion God has for me. I am learning to live each day in that love, in that grace.
Guilt, I believe, comes from judgment based upon the verdict of a final result. Grace, on the other hand, comes from the assurance that all of life is a process as we carry God in our heart each day. As Anthony of Padua affirms, if I continually look at myself, I am looking at God in my heart. God created me as I am and blessed me with the gift of each day. As I carefully consider the choices I make, I do not need to "feel guity" because I live in grace, God's grace, even with my blind spots, even with lapses of integrity, even with my vegan exceptions.
The week of "I is for INTEGRITY" was especially humbling as I found myself tripping over hypocrisy in my "non-vegan" life (way outside the realm of this blog). Caught in "the act", I was forced to face my blind spots and some inconsistencies in a few value-based choices. This revelation caused me to begin questioning the integrity in my "vegan life", especially the exceptions in my vegan diet. Do my "vegan exceptions" discredit my integrity and thus, mar my character? May be the time had come to eliminate all exceptions and fully live "animal free" in consistent integrity as a vegan. I needed to at least try.
As I have blogged, my exceptions are:
1. Dining out
2. Indian buffets
3. The "celebration dessert"
And of course... 4. Chocolate cake
During Lent, I dined out with my parent's for my mom's birthday. At the restaurant, I intentionally asked the wait staff to make my meal vegan. While Caesar salad was the standard for the restaurant, our server prepped a special salad for me with oil and vinegar. However, the "vegan pasta" I requested came with cheese sprinkled all over the top. I explained to her that "vegan" includes "no cheese", but rather than asking her to take it back, and thus wasting the food, I decided to keep it and tried to scrape off the melted cheese to no avail. I ended up eating the meal, but did not enjoy it as my intentional attempt to eat vegan while dining out failed.
Over Lent, I also went out with some friends, and each time, rather than dine at an Indian buffet, which typically serves North Indian cuisine, I intentionally requested we try South Indian cuisine, which tends to be vegan-friendly. I visited two different places: Annapoorna in San Mateo, and Dasaprakash in Santa Clara. In both instances, I specifically asked for vegan substitutions. Learning from the dining experience with my parents, and reading in a vegan resource about the need to be very specific, I explained to the wait staff what not to include in my thali. The server said he would switch out the curries, and in both restaurants, everything was delicious, though the food at Dasaprakash tended to feel "oiler". As I become more familiar with Southern Indian food, I hope to check these places out again and review them. Let me know if you'd like to check them out with me!
As a cake was cut at one celebration during Lent, I was asked point blank by the hostess, "You do eat this, don't you?" Not wanting to offend, I said, "Sure", and was handed a piece. As I headed to the kitchen to get soy milk to go with the basic white cake (which I really didn't want to eat), I soon discovered that other guests were choosing not to take a slice = "I'm too full." "I'm on a diet." I stood there with my cake thinking, "I'm on a diet too - a vegan diet. Why didn't I just say, 'No, but thank you'?"
During Lent, I also began playing around with my vegan chocolate cake recipe. I also began creating a few new recipes, which I will post in the coming weeks. I am discovering that I enjoy experimenting with vegan dishes, and learning about food. How to enhance chocolate flavors in vegan desserts is one current curiosity.
While I was able to uphold my vegan integrity in a few situations during Lent, I did "totally screw up", or at least, I felt like I had failed in others - all because of something I chose to eat! There were moments I felt really guilty, like I had been caught in some great trespass. I want to honor the Creator through my lifestyle, choices, and integrity, but there I am eating cake, which I didn't want, didn't need, but felt forced to take. Guilt.
In one of his sermons, 13th century Franciscan Anthony of Padua said,
"Do you want to carry God in your heart everyday? Look constantly at yourself. Where your eye is, there is your heart. Keep your eyes fixed constantly on yourself. I mention three items: your heart, your eye, yourself. God is in your heart, your heart is in your eye, your eye is in you. So, if you are looking at yourself, you are looking at God in you. Do you want to have God in your heart everyday? Then, be what God has created you to be. Do not look for another I in yourself. Do not try to be anything other than what God created you to be, and you will constantly have God in your heart." (emphasis added)When guilt-ridden, I know that I am looking for the "other I in myself." The "other I" is "the perfect vegan", "the perfect Jesus follower", "the perfect student", "the perfect employee", "the perfect friend", "the perfect adult child of my parents". There is an ideal I have of myself, and when I do not live up to this ideal, I feel like a failure. My vegan "other I" wants me to feel bad about my blind spots, my exceptions, my lapses in judgment.
I might know of God's grace intellectually, but I'm stilling growing in my knowledge of God's grace experientially. The God I trust is the God of grace, the God who showed the full extent of divine love through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, which we remembered just last week during Easter. I trust that God looks at me with love and compassion, especially as I strive to make the best vegan choices I can as I choose to gaze upon all that God has made with the same love and compassion God has for me. I am learning to live each day in that love, in that grace.
Guilt, I believe, comes from judgment based upon the verdict of a final result. Grace, on the other hand, comes from the assurance that all of life is a process as we carry God in our heart each day. As Anthony of Padua affirms, if I continually look at myself, I am looking at God in my heart. God created me as I am and blessed me with the gift of each day. As I carefully consider the choices I make, I do not need to "feel guity" because I live in grace, God's grace, even with my blind spots, even with lapses of integrity, even with my vegan exceptions.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Being vegan: A is for...
Today is Easter, the day we celebrate the hope we have as God's people, because of the resurrection of Jesus who was crucified, but was raised to new life by the power of God. The "good news" of Christ (the gospel) is the promise of life beyond death for those who place their trust in the God who raised Jesus from the grave. That is the message of Easter - a message of hope and healing for all that suffer, struggle, and toil under despair and oppression. God has not forgotten those God created and loves.
This is good news! And good news needs to be shared, an imperative which is echoed in the final principle of veganism. For a vegan:
A is for ADVANCEMENT of understanding and truth
When the light bulb of new insight clicks on, excitement overflows as we naturally share our discovery with others and advance the message of what we've come to believe.
The basic message of Christianity is that new life is possible for those who believe in the transforming power of God. To understand and to live the truth of this message, one must turn from the "old self" to the "new self", a lifestyle which follows after Jesus and nurtures a daily dependence on the love of God.
The basic message of veganism is that all life is precious. To understand and to live the truth of this message, one must consciously choose to live each day with conscience and conviction in compassion for all of creation.
As one's perspective of truth deepens, and as transformation occurs, opportunities open for new convictions to be shared. My decision to become a vegan, for example, grew out of my faith as a Christian, who desires to honor God by caring for all that God has made. The link I made between Christianity and veganism is a truth I now believe, which shapes how I live out my faith. To anyone who asks and is willing to listen, I share what I have learned.
My "vegan conversion" came in a fashion similar to my "Christian conversion". I made a decision for Christ on a bunk at summer camp in the summer of 1977. Lying in bed, I realized that God loved me, that I loved God, and that I was already trusting Christ. There was no reason not to make a commitment to follow him. Camp was simply the moment I decided that I would not turn back. Last summer as I was reading about the values of being a vegan, I literally woke up one day and realized that I was already choosing compassion in my diet and my purchases. I simply drew a line in the sand on my birthday to mark the moment when I decided that I would not go back.
Joanne Stepaniak in Being Vegan underscores my experience when she writes, "Most people who come to veganism feel jolted awake, as though they had been asleep at the wheel and are only now becoming conscious of the truth that has always surrounded them" (p. 66). As outlined in my first vegan-me blog, intellectually, spiritually, environmentally, practically, physically, politically, and ethically, I realized that a vegan lifestyle fits who I am, who I believe God is calling me to become.
With more people discovering that someone like me is now a vegan (someone who once loved sashimi, parmesan cheese, and prime rib cooked rare), the question comes up, "Why?" I am still learning how to respond in a way that reflects my understanding, my convictions, and the truths I have now come to believe, without being pushy or proud, or provoking guilt.
Stepaniak suggests a "brief and upbeat" answer, such as: "I believe in the value of all life and in not harming others. Since we can live healthfully and happily without eating of using animal products, there is no reason to do otherwise." (Being Vegan, p. 103)
The response I am beginning to give when asked, "Why vegan?":
"As a follower of Jesus, I believe I am called to care for creation and to be a good steward of the environment. Thus, I value all of life and desire to honor God by honoring all that God has made. Since I can live healthfully and happily without eating or using products that come from animals, there is no reason for me to do so."
Through this lenten series, I highlighted the 6 principles of a vegan life.
- A is for ABSTINENCE from animal products
- H is for HARMLESSNESS with reverence for life
- I is for INTEGRITY of thought, word, and deed
- M is for MASTERY over oneself
- S is for SERVICE to humanity, nature, and creation
- A is for ADVANCEMENT of understanding and truth
The 6 principles are an acronym spelling the Sanskrit word, "AHIMSA", which means "non-violence". As a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings, it is the guide for vegan living delineated by the American Vegan Society.
Though ahimsa is a philosophy common in eastern religions, I believe it reflects God's original intention in the Garden of Eden, and is prophesied as being restored in Isaiah 11:6-9 when the Christ comes. (Refer to H is for...) I have come to believe ahimsa is very much part of what it means to be "Christian" for it is rooted in love, God's love for all that God has made.
Referring to our communion with God, Henri Nouwen writes, "It's there that you receive the love which empowers you to take the way that Jesus has taken before you: a narrow way, a painful way, but the way that gives you true joy and peace and enables you to make the nonviolent love of God visible in this world." (Show Me the Way, p. 80. Emphasis added.)
The Easter message of Jesus is that beyond death, there is life for those who trust in the resurrection power of God. When I consider Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, I see the hope of ahimsa in the good news of Easter. Beyond death and violence, there is the promise of new life for those who would believe.
There is much violence in our world today, especially in the death of animals in the farm industry. While many vegans are animal activists, I am not, though the atrocities I read about in Fast Food Nation were pivotal in my vegan conversion. My hope is that through this blog and my sharing with others about the truth in veganism, the violent death of billions of God's creatures will not be in vain, but will be a wake up call, and give birth to a new vegan life in someone... may be someone like you!
This Easter, may the hope of new life overshadow the power of death, and be replaced with the compassionate love of non-violence for all the earth -- a truth found in ahimsa, veganism, as well as the gospel of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
This is good news! And good news needs to be shared, an imperative which is echoed in the final principle of veganism. For a vegan:
A is for ADVANCEMENT of understanding and truth
When the light bulb of new insight clicks on, excitement overflows as we naturally share our discovery with others and advance the message of what we've come to believe.
The basic message of Christianity is that new life is possible for those who believe in the transforming power of God. To understand and to live the truth of this message, one must turn from the "old self" to the "new self", a lifestyle which follows after Jesus and nurtures a daily dependence on the love of God.
The basic message of veganism is that all life is precious. To understand and to live the truth of this message, one must consciously choose to live each day with conscience and conviction in compassion for all of creation.
As one's perspective of truth deepens, and as transformation occurs, opportunities open for new convictions to be shared. My decision to become a vegan, for example, grew out of my faith as a Christian, who desires to honor God by caring for all that God has made. The link I made between Christianity and veganism is a truth I now believe, which shapes how I live out my faith. To anyone who asks and is willing to listen, I share what I have learned.
My "vegan conversion" came in a fashion similar to my "Christian conversion". I made a decision for Christ on a bunk at summer camp in the summer of 1977. Lying in bed, I realized that God loved me, that I loved God, and that I was already trusting Christ. There was no reason not to make a commitment to follow him. Camp was simply the moment I decided that I would not turn back. Last summer as I was reading about the values of being a vegan, I literally woke up one day and realized that I was already choosing compassion in my diet and my purchases. I simply drew a line in the sand on my birthday to mark the moment when I decided that I would not go back.
Joanne Stepaniak in Being Vegan underscores my experience when she writes, "Most people who come to veganism feel jolted awake, as though they had been asleep at the wheel and are only now becoming conscious of the truth that has always surrounded them" (p. 66). As outlined in my first vegan-me blog, intellectually, spiritually, environmentally, practically, physically, politically, and ethically, I realized that a vegan lifestyle fits who I am, who I believe God is calling me to become.
With more people discovering that someone like me is now a vegan (someone who once loved sashimi, parmesan cheese, and prime rib cooked rare), the question comes up, "Why?" I am still learning how to respond in a way that reflects my understanding, my convictions, and the truths I have now come to believe, without being pushy or proud, or provoking guilt.
Stepaniak suggests a "brief and upbeat" answer, such as: "I believe in the value of all life and in not harming others. Since we can live healthfully and happily without eating of using animal products, there is no reason to do otherwise." (Being Vegan, p. 103)
The response I am beginning to give when asked, "Why vegan?":
"As a follower of Jesus, I believe I am called to care for creation and to be a good steward of the environment. Thus, I value all of life and desire to honor God by honoring all that God has made. Since I can live healthfully and happily without eating or using products that come from animals, there is no reason for me to do so."
Through this lenten series, I highlighted the 6 principles of a vegan life.
- A is for ABSTINENCE from animal products
- H is for HARMLESSNESS with reverence for life
- I is for INTEGRITY of thought, word, and deed
- M is for MASTERY over oneself
- S is for SERVICE to humanity, nature, and creation
- A is for ADVANCEMENT of understanding and truth
The 6 principles are an acronym spelling the Sanskrit word, "AHIMSA", which means "non-violence". As a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings, it is the guide for vegan living delineated by the American Vegan Society.
Though ahimsa is a philosophy common in eastern religions, I believe it reflects God's original intention in the Garden of Eden, and is prophesied as being restored in Isaiah 11:6-9 when the Christ comes. (Refer to H is for...) I have come to believe ahimsa is very much part of what it means to be "Christian" for it is rooted in love, God's love for all that God has made.
Referring to our communion with God, Henri Nouwen writes, "It's there that you receive the love which empowers you to take the way that Jesus has taken before you: a narrow way, a painful way, but the way that gives you true joy and peace and enables you to make the nonviolent love of God visible in this world." (Show Me the Way, p. 80. Emphasis added.)
The Easter message of Jesus is that beyond death, there is life for those who trust in the resurrection power of God. When I consider Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, I see the hope of ahimsa in the good news of Easter. Beyond death and violence, there is the promise of new life for those who would believe.
There is much violence in our world today, especially in the death of animals in the farm industry. While many vegans are animal activists, I am not, though the atrocities I read about in Fast Food Nation were pivotal in my vegan conversion. My hope is that through this blog and my sharing with others about the truth in veganism, the violent death of billions of God's creatures will not be in vain, but will be a wake up call, and give birth to a new vegan life in someone... may be someone like you!
This Easter, may the hope of new life overshadow the power of death, and be replaced with the compassionate love of non-violence for all the earth -- a truth found in ahimsa, veganism, as well as the gospel of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Being vegan: S is for...
Today begins Holy Week - the final week of Jesus' earthly life, as we journey towards Easter in this season of Lent. One important event in Jesus' ministry, which is often overlooked in the remembrances of this week, is Maundy Thursday, when Jesus in the Upper Room washes the feet of his disciples.
In this simple act of service, Jesus shows his followers "the full extent of his love" (John 13:1), and then commissions them to follow his example and "do as I have done for you" (John 13:15). Serving others is the way we follow Jesus and show the full extent of our love for others. It is the core of Jesus' message and the reason we remember the gift of his life - his birth at Christmas, his death at the cross on Good Friday, and his resurrection and victory over death on Easter.
While giving our life in service of others is the call of the Christian life, veganism takes the understanding of service one step further in our next principle. For a vegan:
S is for SERVICE to humanity, nature, and creation
Vegans are committed to serving "others", but recognize that the "other" is not just a member of humanity, but includes every living creature on planet earth, our common home. Veganism embraces a reverence for all of life, and considers all life (not just the lives of "rational beings") as sacred and worthy of respect, love, service, and protection.
As a follower of Jesus, I have come to believe that this vegan principle is very much in line with the call of Christ. When Jesus taught his followers to pray "Our Father", he opened up a whole network of relationships, not just with humanity, but with all that has been created and finds its being in God.
In his 13th century Canticle of Creation, St. Francis of Assisi praises God with Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Air, Sister Water, Brother Fire, and Sister Earth. While the heavens declare God's glory, humanity is simply one member of the creation choir called to praise the Creator.
Unfortunately, in our pride and desire for control, human society has lost sight of its rightful place in the natural world as "caretakers of the garden". Only when we recognize that we are finite creatures, with temporary residence on planet earth, will humility be birthed, and service in the name of Jesus can begin. We are members of a cosmic family, created by God the Father, united in love through the Spirit, and called by Jesus the Christ to love and to serve all that God has made, everything which reflects the glory and beauty of the One who is all and is in all.
"A bond exists between all things," says Luther Standing Bear, Lakota Chief of the Oglala, "because they all drink the same water and breathe the same air." Or as Henri Nouwen writes, "For him who has become close to God, all is one. Only God counts, and in God all people and all things are embraced with love." (Show Me the Way, p. 97)
For the followers of Jesus, the act of washing feet vividly portrays the essence of what it means to serve and to love. First, we lay aside our own needs. We then kneel in humility to tend to the needs of the other.
Because we must first abstain from our own wants (the first vegan principle) and master our own desires (the fourth), serving others is never easy. Yet in our humanity, it is easier for us to recognize the needs of our human brothers and sisters than the needs of our extended cosmic family. This is where servanthood often begins - washing feet, tending to basic human needs, like feeding the poor, providing clean water, caring for the sick, tutoring a child, freeing the enslaved, providing an encouraging word, making a charity donation, lending a hand, being a friend. We are familiar with such base needs because they are also our own.
In our service of nature and creation, however, we are not as aware of needs -- or at least, not yet. Once upon a time, humanity lived in harmony with nature, but unfortunately in this new millennium, our world bears the scars of imbalance because of the human drive for control, power, and domination. Global warming, climate change, acid rain, air pollution, water pollution, deforestation, endangered species, species extinction, animal exploitation -- all are common terms today, which were unheard of a generation ago.
It does not take a degree in biology (which I do not have) to recognize that something is terribly wrong in our world. Something needs to be done! To take action to preserve the environment is, I believe, how we serve.
We serve nature and creation when we
- replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent,
- walk and not drive,
- conserve heat and water,
- refuse, reuse, reduce, recycle,
- make a lifestyle change to lessen our carbon footprint,
- write a letter of environmental advocacy to an elected official,
- buy local and organic,
- read and raise aware of the global devastation of climate change,
- and of course, we serve God and honor the members of our animal family best when we choose a plant-based vegan diet!
My prayer is that we would each grow in our love of God, and grow in love for your neighbors by serving, not just humanity, but the "other neighbors" as well that live in the beauty of our communities, on this home we call planet earth.
"I do not think that the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow human being." (Sun Bear, Chippewa medicine man)
Here are some suggestions of what you can do to combat global warming...
In this simple act of service, Jesus shows his followers "the full extent of his love" (John 13:1), and then commissions them to follow his example and "do as I have done for you" (John 13:15). Serving others is the way we follow Jesus and show the full extent of our love for others. It is the core of Jesus' message and the reason we remember the gift of his life - his birth at Christmas, his death at the cross on Good Friday, and his resurrection and victory over death on Easter.
While giving our life in service of others is the call of the Christian life, veganism takes the understanding of service one step further in our next principle. For a vegan:
S is for SERVICE to humanity, nature, and creation
Vegans are committed to serving "others", but recognize that the "other" is not just a member of humanity, but includes every living creature on planet earth, our common home. Veganism embraces a reverence for all of life, and considers all life (not just the lives of "rational beings") as sacred and worthy of respect, love, service, and protection.
As a follower of Jesus, I have come to believe that this vegan principle is very much in line with the call of Christ. When Jesus taught his followers to pray "Our Father", he opened up a whole network of relationships, not just with humanity, but with all that has been created and finds its being in God.
In his 13th century Canticle of Creation, St. Francis of Assisi praises God with Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Air, Sister Water, Brother Fire, and Sister Earth. While the heavens declare God's glory, humanity is simply one member of the creation choir called to praise the Creator.
Unfortunately, in our pride and desire for control, human society has lost sight of its rightful place in the natural world as "caretakers of the garden". Only when we recognize that we are finite creatures, with temporary residence on planet earth, will humility be birthed, and service in the name of Jesus can begin. We are members of a cosmic family, created by God the Father, united in love through the Spirit, and called by Jesus the Christ to love and to serve all that God has made, everything which reflects the glory and beauty of the One who is all and is in all.
"A bond exists between all things," says Luther Standing Bear, Lakota Chief of the Oglala, "because they all drink the same water and breathe the same air." Or as Henri Nouwen writes, "For him who has become close to God, all is one. Only God counts, and in God all people and all things are embraced with love." (Show Me the Way, p. 97)
For the followers of Jesus, the act of washing feet vividly portrays the essence of what it means to serve and to love. First, we lay aside our own needs. We then kneel in humility to tend to the needs of the other.
Because we must first abstain from our own wants (the first vegan principle) and master our own desires (the fourth), serving others is never easy. Yet in our humanity, it is easier for us to recognize the needs of our human brothers and sisters than the needs of our extended cosmic family. This is where servanthood often begins - washing feet, tending to basic human needs, like feeding the poor, providing clean water, caring for the sick, tutoring a child, freeing the enslaved, providing an encouraging word, making a charity donation, lending a hand, being a friend. We are familiar with such base needs because they are also our own.
In our service of nature and creation, however, we are not as aware of needs -- or at least, not yet. Once upon a time, humanity lived in harmony with nature, but unfortunately in this new millennium, our world bears the scars of imbalance because of the human drive for control, power, and domination. Global warming, climate change, acid rain, air pollution, water pollution, deforestation, endangered species, species extinction, animal exploitation -- all are common terms today, which were unheard of a generation ago.
It does not take a degree in biology (which I do not have) to recognize that something is terribly wrong in our world. Something needs to be done! To take action to preserve the environment is, I believe, how we serve.
We serve nature and creation when we
- replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent,
- walk and not drive,
- conserve heat and water,
- refuse, reuse, reduce, recycle,
- make a lifestyle change to lessen our carbon footprint,
- write a letter of environmental advocacy to an elected official,
- buy local and organic,
- read and raise aware of the global devastation of climate change,
- and of course, we serve God and honor the members of our animal family best when we choose a plant-based vegan diet!
My prayer is that we would each grow in our love of God, and grow in love for your neighbors by serving, not just humanity, but the "other neighbors" as well that live in the beauty of our communities, on this home we call planet earth.
"I do not think that the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow human being." (Sun Bear, Chippewa medicine man)
Here are some suggestions of what you can do to combat global warming...
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Being vegan: M is for...
It is hard to believe, but nearly 4 years ago, I began my year-long decision to celebrate my 40th birthday "fit and 40". I accomplished that goal, and over the ensuing years, I now weigh in 50+ pounds lighter! I've kept the weight off, and have reached the "ideal runner's weight" for my height. I am continually improving as an athlete in distance running. I'm evolving as a vegan in my diet and lifestyle choices. I'm even enjoying my role as a resource and example of diet and exercise.
I am happier and healthier than I have ever been, and though it has required hard choices at times, the positive changes in my life have come because of discipline, self-control, and the fourth principle in veganism:
M is for MASTERY over oneself
Of God's many gifts to humanity, freewill is among the most precious -- a reflection of God's love, trust, and respect of us. Though a God-given blessing, freewill comes with responsibilities. Responsibilities come with choices, and choices come from our values. Values reflect that which is important to us, and are evidenced in our choices, how we live out our responsibilities and honor the God who loves and respected us enough in the beginning to have blessed us with the gift of freewill.
In the Garden of Eden, this gift was symbolized in the fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The apostle Paul describes this gift as the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 2:22-23, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Self-control is, I believe, the seed of freewill.
While we may be attracted to the exterior beauty of the fruit (love, joy, and peace), and while we can appreciate the taste of its inner essence (patience, kindness, and goodness), the core of the fruit (faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) can quite literally be a "hard seed to crack".
We want what we want, and we want it now. We don't like to wait. We don't like being told no. We are selfish; our desires war within us, with mass media declaring that human passions have won. The excesses of contemporary American culture reflect a lack of restraint, discipline, and self-control. Obesity and consumerism are two values that dominant our indulgent lifestyle, as the world spins out of control, away from Eden. While the natural resources of earth are being depleted, the rich are overfed, while two-thirds of the human population continues to die of starvation. Something is not right.
We may feel like we're "victims", but when we blame others and point to the "snakes" in our world which have deceived us, we have begun our fall out of Paradise, away from grace. Self-centered choices stop the flow of God's blessing as we allow our desires to control, rather than our values.
For vegans, compassion is the highest value. For followers of Jesus, the highest value is love -- love of God, love of others, love of all that God loves and made. Life is good when the gift of God's freewill is exercised with self-control, in balanced compassionate harmony, with love for all God's creation. Life becomes bad, and turns downright evil when we indulge in selfish whims and assert dominant control over the natural order.
Michael Cusato writes, "Every creature -- human or otherwise -- has a God-given right to be sustained at the table of creation. However, human beings, accustomed to enjoying the abundance of the earth, all too often twist the munificence of God into an illusion of self-sufficiency. Forgetful of God and of the fact that the earth is ultimately God's possession, they begin thinking of themselves as possessors, acting as if creation were their own private possession intended for their use alone. Assuming that others think and act as they do, out of fear and insecurity they develop a spirit of acquisitiveness, hoarding for themselves what might be desperately needed by others. Such attitudes and actions... are violations of the intent of creation." (Francis of Assisi: History, Hagiography and Hermeneutics, p. 197-198)
The US, like the UK, suffers from what is called the "Three Planet Lifestyle". If the entire planet were to live like us, it would take three planets worth of natural resources to support it. Globally, that is impossible, and ethically, that is unacceptable.
"We urgently have to face the fact," says Paul King of World Wildlife Fund, "that we are all running up a serious ecological debt and that we cannot continue to exhaust the Earth's natural reserves without putting something back. It is time to make some vital choices, to enable people to enjoy a one planet lifestyle."
The gift of freewill is reflected in the everyday choices we make in what we eat and wear, how we live and relate. "By their fruit you will know them," Jesus says in Matthew 7:16. By our choices, people know who we are. Mastery over-self means we choose our tree and the fruit our lives will bear.
What type of tree are you? Are you a tree of life, celebrating the beautiful harmony of creation as it was in the beginning? Or are you a tree of death, out of harmony with God' natural order as you pursue selfish wants to feed the desires of endless passions?
As I blogged a few weeks ago, "Veganism and a vegetarian diet celebrate life by refraining from practices that harm animals, and seeking to live in harmony with all living beings." This is one reason why I continue to choose self-control in my diet and mastery of my living decisions. It is no longer about weight loss. It is about living simply so that others may simply live.
Joanne Stepaniak in Being Vegan writes, " Our dietary choices have more to do with tradition, culture, economics, politics, and availability than with some predetermined fate. It is time for our species to behave responsibility and select those foods that best sustain the earth, the animals, and ourselves." (p. 24).
It is choice. The choice is yours. May you choose wisely this day and every day.
I am happier and healthier than I have ever been, and though it has required hard choices at times, the positive changes in my life have come because of discipline, self-control, and the fourth principle in veganism:
M is for MASTERY over oneself
Of God's many gifts to humanity, freewill is among the most precious -- a reflection of God's love, trust, and respect of us. Though a God-given blessing, freewill comes with responsibilities. Responsibilities come with choices, and choices come from our values. Values reflect that which is important to us, and are evidenced in our choices, how we live out our responsibilities and honor the God who loves and respected us enough in the beginning to have blessed us with the gift of freewill.
In the Garden of Eden, this gift was symbolized in the fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The apostle Paul describes this gift as the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 2:22-23, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Self-control is, I believe, the seed of freewill.
While we may be attracted to the exterior beauty of the fruit (love, joy, and peace), and while we can appreciate the taste of its inner essence (patience, kindness, and goodness), the core of the fruit (faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) can quite literally be a "hard seed to crack".
We want what we want, and we want it now. We don't like to wait. We don't like being told no. We are selfish; our desires war within us, with mass media declaring that human passions have won. The excesses of contemporary American culture reflect a lack of restraint, discipline, and self-control. Obesity and consumerism are two values that dominant our indulgent lifestyle, as the world spins out of control, away from Eden. While the natural resources of earth are being depleted, the rich are overfed, while two-thirds of the human population continues to die of starvation. Something is not right.
We may feel like we're "victims", but when we blame others and point to the "snakes" in our world which have deceived us, we have begun our fall out of Paradise, away from grace. Self-centered choices stop the flow of God's blessing as we allow our desires to control, rather than our values.
For vegans, compassion is the highest value. For followers of Jesus, the highest value is love -- love of God, love of others, love of all that God loves and made. Life is good when the gift of God's freewill is exercised with self-control, in balanced compassionate harmony, with love for all God's creation. Life becomes bad, and turns downright evil when we indulge in selfish whims and assert dominant control over the natural order.
Michael Cusato writes, "Every creature -- human or otherwise -- has a God-given right to be sustained at the table of creation. However, human beings, accustomed to enjoying the abundance of the earth, all too often twist the munificence of God into an illusion of self-sufficiency. Forgetful of God and of the fact that the earth is ultimately God's possession, they begin thinking of themselves as possessors, acting as if creation were their own private possession intended for their use alone. Assuming that others think and act as they do, out of fear and insecurity they develop a spirit of acquisitiveness, hoarding for themselves what might be desperately needed by others. Such attitudes and actions... are violations of the intent of creation." (Francis of Assisi: History, Hagiography and Hermeneutics, p. 197-198)
The US, like the UK, suffers from what is called the "Three Planet Lifestyle". If the entire planet were to live like us, it would take three planets worth of natural resources to support it. Globally, that is impossible, and ethically, that is unacceptable.
"We urgently have to face the fact," says Paul King of World Wildlife Fund, "that we are all running up a serious ecological debt and that we cannot continue to exhaust the Earth's natural reserves without putting something back. It is time to make some vital choices, to enable people to enjoy a one planet lifestyle."
The gift of freewill is reflected in the everyday choices we make in what we eat and wear, how we live and relate. "By their fruit you will know them," Jesus says in Matthew 7:16. By our choices, people know who we are. Mastery over-self means we choose our tree and the fruit our lives will bear.
What type of tree are you? Are you a tree of life, celebrating the beautiful harmony of creation as it was in the beginning? Or are you a tree of death, out of harmony with God' natural order as you pursue selfish wants to feed the desires of endless passions?
As I blogged a few weeks ago, "Veganism and a vegetarian diet celebrate life by refraining from practices that harm animals, and seeking to live in harmony with all living beings." This is one reason why I continue to choose self-control in my diet and mastery of my living decisions. It is no longer about weight loss. It is about living simply so that others may simply live.
Joanne Stepaniak in Being Vegan writes, " Our dietary choices have more to do with tradition, culture, economics, politics, and availability than with some predetermined fate. It is time for our species to behave responsibility and select those foods that best sustain the earth, the animals, and ourselves." (p. 24).
It is choice. The choice is yours. May you choose wisely this day and every day.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Being vegan: I is for...
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms. It is a phrase that makes you go, "hmm" as you consider the meaning of each separate word. Some familiar oxymorons: "jumbo shrimp", "pretty ugly", "silent scream", and everyone's favorite, "Microsoft works".
Though technically not "oxymorons", Joanne Stepaniak considers a few paradoxes in her book, Being Vegan that cause you to pause and think:
- consumers who purchase dolphin-safe tuna (what about tuna safety?)
- a bird-watcher who eats poultry
- an antiabortionist who supports capital punishment
- an animal rights activist who wears leather shoes
There is a degree of irony, she suggests, when compassion is selectively applied.
"The vegan ethic," Stepaniak writes, "applies compassion indiscriminately. In theory, vegans are concerned about every group or individual who is exploited, human or nonhuman." (p. 52) The challenge is taking that theory, and applying it to one's daily decisions.
While everyone has blind spots, vegans strive to recognize their own, and then to do something about them, because the third core principle of veganism:
I is for INTEGRITY of thought, word, and deed
Integrity is about consistency -- consistency in what a person thinks, says, and does. Integrity calls us to watch for blind spots so that no one will go "Hmm" if they were to observe our lives. Integrity is rooted in one's character, and character is "who you are when no one (but God) is watching."
In his ministry, Jesus confronted the hypocrisy he witnessed in people, especially "religious-types", who articulated high moral values but failed to live them out. "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'," Jesus said in Matthew 5:37. Do what you say. Say what you do. Consistency in character is the call for one who claims to follow Christ.
It was a year ago that I made the transition in my diet from "occasional meat eater" to "vegetarian". As my convictions were forming about why a non-meat diet was healthful for me and helpful for the environment, I came to believe that if I were to continue eating meat, I would need (I journaled) "a rationale for why I may choose meat so it does not appear to simply be at random." Finding no good reason, I was soon selecting non-meat dishes every meal. As I continued to read and to research vegetarianism and veganism, the transition to an animal-free diet (no dairy, eggs, et al) and then to an animal-free lifestyle was a logical journey of personal integrity based in compassion.
Stepaniak writes, "Compassion, according to vegan principles, accords no hierarchy of lesser or greater value to any living being. To vegans, all life is equally precious." (p. 88) And as a follower of Jesus, that is foundational to my values, too.
Much of my vegan journey has been rooted in the question = WHY? Why do I need to eat this? Why do I need to purchase this? Why do I believe this? Why do I value that? If there is a more compassionate alternative which would extend care to creation, cut down my carbon footprint, love others, and honor God, then why would I NOT want to do that?
I still have my vegan blind spots, about which I have blogged. My dietary exceptions (including chocolate cake) are one area, but there are others. I wrestle with what those exceptions and blind spots suggest to others, and how they impact my integrity as a vegan. My journey continues.
I'm taking a course at the Franciscan School of Theology this semester. I'm prayerfully considering a full-time return to seminary. The more I learn about Saint Francis of Assisi, the more I am drawn to Franciscan creation theology and eco-spirituality. Because of his love for God the Creator, Francis lived in harmony with all creation and because of his love for Jesus the Christ, he lived in the fullness of the gospel, the poverty that is found in full dependence on God. The patron saint of animals and ecology was a man of deep integrity.
In The Life of Saint Francis, Julian of Speyer notes, "Since he traced all things back to their beginning, he called every creature 'brother,' and, in his own praises, continuously invited all creatures to praise their one common Creator." (p. 401) For Francis, the key to his integrity was living in God's original intention at creation, which I highlighted last week.
"As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever" is a common phrase in the praises attributed to St. Francis. As I strive to live as a vegan follower of Christ, I find this an inspiration for my integrity = To live each day in the Garden principle of "harmlessness", envisioned by the prophet Isaiah to be re-established with the return of the Christ. "As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever."
"There is an incredibly rewarding sense of peace and satisfaction in knowing that we are doing the best we can for those most in need," writes Stepaniak. "The outcome is irrelevant because, if we embody our ethics, the influence of our short presence on this earth will continue its effects long after we are gone." (p. 60)
As you journey with integrity this Lenten season, may you in the end be found faithful.
Though technically not "oxymorons", Joanne Stepaniak considers a few paradoxes in her book, Being Vegan that cause you to pause and think:
- consumers who purchase dolphin-safe tuna (what about tuna safety?)
- a bird-watcher who eats poultry
- an antiabortionist who supports capital punishment
- an animal rights activist who wears leather shoes
There is a degree of irony, she suggests, when compassion is selectively applied.
"The vegan ethic," Stepaniak writes, "applies compassion indiscriminately. In theory, vegans are concerned about every group or individual who is exploited, human or nonhuman." (p. 52) The challenge is taking that theory, and applying it to one's daily decisions.
While everyone has blind spots, vegans strive to recognize their own, and then to do something about them, because the third core principle of veganism:
I is for INTEGRITY of thought, word, and deed
Integrity is about consistency -- consistency in what a person thinks, says, and does. Integrity calls us to watch for blind spots so that no one will go "Hmm" if they were to observe our lives. Integrity is rooted in one's character, and character is "who you are when no one (but God) is watching."
In his ministry, Jesus confronted the hypocrisy he witnessed in people, especially "religious-types", who articulated high moral values but failed to live them out. "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'," Jesus said in Matthew 5:37. Do what you say. Say what you do. Consistency in character is the call for one who claims to follow Christ.
It was a year ago that I made the transition in my diet from "occasional meat eater" to "vegetarian". As my convictions were forming about why a non-meat diet was healthful for me and helpful for the environment, I came to believe that if I were to continue eating meat, I would need (I journaled) "a rationale for why I may choose meat so it does not appear to simply be at random." Finding no good reason, I was soon selecting non-meat dishes every meal. As I continued to read and to research vegetarianism and veganism, the transition to an animal-free diet (no dairy, eggs, et al) and then to an animal-free lifestyle was a logical journey of personal integrity based in compassion.
Stepaniak writes, "Compassion, according to vegan principles, accords no hierarchy of lesser or greater value to any living being. To vegans, all life is equally precious." (p. 88) And as a follower of Jesus, that is foundational to my values, too.
Much of my vegan journey has been rooted in the question = WHY? Why do I need to eat this? Why do I need to purchase this? Why do I believe this? Why do I value that? If there is a more compassionate alternative which would extend care to creation, cut down my carbon footprint, love others, and honor God, then why would I NOT want to do that?
I still have my vegan blind spots, about which I have blogged. My dietary exceptions (including chocolate cake) are one area, but there are others. I wrestle with what those exceptions and blind spots suggest to others, and how they impact my integrity as a vegan. My journey continues.
I'm taking a course at the Franciscan School of Theology this semester. I'm prayerfully considering a full-time return to seminary. The more I learn about Saint Francis of Assisi, the more I am drawn to Franciscan creation theology and eco-spirituality. Because of his love for God the Creator, Francis lived in harmony with all creation and because of his love for Jesus the Christ, he lived in the fullness of the gospel, the poverty that is found in full dependence on God. The patron saint of animals and ecology was a man of deep integrity.
In The Life of Saint Francis, Julian of Speyer notes, "Since he traced all things back to their beginning, he called every creature 'brother,' and, in his own praises, continuously invited all creatures to praise their one common Creator." (p. 401) For Francis, the key to his integrity was living in God's original intention at creation, which I highlighted last week.
"As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever" is a common phrase in the praises attributed to St. Francis. As I strive to live as a vegan follower of Christ, I find this an inspiration for my integrity = To live each day in the Garden principle of "harmlessness", envisioned by the prophet Isaiah to be re-established with the return of the Christ. "As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever."
"There is an incredibly rewarding sense of peace and satisfaction in knowing that we are doing the best we can for those most in need," writes Stepaniak. "The outcome is irrelevant because, if we embody our ethics, the influence of our short presence on this earth will continue its effects long after we are gone." (p. 60)
As you journey with integrity this Lenten season, may you in the end be found faithful.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Being vegan: H is for...
News of the largest US beef recall last week brought to the national spotlight the abuses endured by animals in today's meat industry. Though these reports and horrific images are now fading from the media and the minds of mainstream America, reports of animal cruelty continue, and I find my commitment to the first of 6 vegan principles -- ABSTINENCE from animal products strengthened.
In light of the reported 143 million pounds of recalled beef this past week, and the 10 billion animals raised and slaughtered in the US each year for food, the second principle for a vegan...
H is for HARMLESSNESS with reverence for life
Though this may sound crude and possibly offensive to some, the primary focus of the meat industry is essentially -- death. Animals are viewed as raw materials, commodities, and product, slaughtered en masse for human consumption in the name of food.
Carol Adams in her book, Living Among Meat Eaters, notes that while a meat-eating world organizes itself around death, it is a plant-based world that organizes itself around life (p. 217). Veganism and a vegetarian diet celebrate life by refraining from practices that harm animals, and seeking to live in harmony with all living beings.
According to Joanne Stepaniak, a vegan is "a person who is committed to and practices reverence and respect for all life" (Being Vegan, p. 5). This begins in a vegan's dietary choices, but must extend to all of life's decisions, choosing to "Do the least harm and the most good".
As William Blake has said, "everything that lives is holy, life delights in life." Veganism delights in life, and as I desire to honor my Creator, veganism helps me see evidence of God's holy presence in all things. There is harmony and a "harmlessness" in vegan principles, as veganism is a lifestyle choice of peace, with reverence and awe for all that lives, moves, and breathes.
An unrealistic utopian vision? It should not be for those who put their hope in God! A vision of peaceful co-existence is found in God's Word, the Bible, the holy promises and premises of God.
Genesis paints a portrait of life in the Garden of Eden where all of God's creatures live in harmony, humanity included. Though humankind is given "dominion" over animals (or "rule" in some translations), it is not a "lording it over them". As the Christian Vegetarian Association explains, dominion is a "sacred stewardship, since God immediately afterward prescribed a vegetarian diet in a world God found 'very good'. Created in God's image of love, we are called to be caretakers of God's Creation, not tyrants over God's creatures".
Prophecies in Isaiah 11:6-9 (NCV) envision a return to that peaceful creation harmony.
"Then wolves will live in peace with lambs, and leopards will lie down to rest with goats. Calves, lions, and young bulls will eat together, and a little child will lead them. Cows and bears will eat together in peace. Their young will lie down to rest together. Lions will eat hay as oxen do. A baby will be able to play near a cobra's hole, and a child will be able to put his hand into the nest of a poisonous snake. They will not hurt or destroy each other on all my holy mountain, because the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the sea is full of water."
When will this take place? When "the root of Jesse" (aka "the Christ") returns as a banner of hope for the people (Isaiah 11:10). Jesus is the Promised One who will reestablish this peaceable kingdom.
Thus, for those who trust in Jesus and call Him Lord, I believe there is a call to choose the harmlessness found in veganism and a plant-based diet. We are to revere life, love all, and re-claim the peace God had originally intended in creation. That for me is "the full knowledge of the Lord", which is to cover the earth, a vision of divine encompassing love.
As we prepare to celebrate new life this Easter, may you choose life over death this Lenten season, by reducing your use of an animal product. And besides, if lions are going to eat hay in the new kingdom, you might find yourself blessed consuming a plant-based diet too!
In light of the reported 143 million pounds of recalled beef this past week, and the 10 billion animals raised and slaughtered in the US each year for food, the second principle for a vegan...
H is for HARMLESSNESS with reverence for life
Though this may sound crude and possibly offensive to some, the primary focus of the meat industry is essentially -- death. Animals are viewed as raw materials, commodities, and product, slaughtered en masse for human consumption in the name of food.
Carol Adams in her book, Living Among Meat Eaters, notes that while a meat-eating world organizes itself around death, it is a plant-based world that organizes itself around life (p. 217). Veganism and a vegetarian diet celebrate life by refraining from practices that harm animals, and seeking to live in harmony with all living beings.
According to Joanne Stepaniak, a vegan is "a person who is committed to and practices reverence and respect for all life" (Being Vegan, p. 5). This begins in a vegan's dietary choices, but must extend to all of life's decisions, choosing to "Do the least harm and the most good".
As William Blake has said, "everything that lives is holy, life delights in life." Veganism delights in life, and as I desire to honor my Creator, veganism helps me see evidence of God's holy presence in all things. There is harmony and a "harmlessness" in vegan principles, as veganism is a lifestyle choice of peace, with reverence and awe for all that lives, moves, and breathes.
An unrealistic utopian vision? It should not be for those who put their hope in God! A vision of peaceful co-existence is found in God's Word, the Bible, the holy promises and premises of God.
Genesis paints a portrait of life in the Garden of Eden where all of God's creatures live in harmony, humanity included. Though humankind is given "dominion" over animals (or "rule" in some translations), it is not a "lording it over them". As the Christian Vegetarian Association explains, dominion is a "sacred stewardship, since God immediately afterward prescribed a vegetarian diet in a world God found 'very good'. Created in God's image of love, we are called to be caretakers of God's Creation, not tyrants over God's creatures".
Prophecies in Isaiah 11:6-9 (NCV) envision a return to that peaceful creation harmony.
"Then wolves will live in peace with lambs, and leopards will lie down to rest with goats. Calves, lions, and young bulls will eat together, and a little child will lead them. Cows and bears will eat together in peace. Their young will lie down to rest together. Lions will eat hay as oxen do. A baby will be able to play near a cobra's hole, and a child will be able to put his hand into the nest of a poisonous snake. They will not hurt or destroy each other on all my holy mountain, because the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the sea is full of water."When will this take place? When "the root of Jesse" (aka "the Christ") returns as a banner of hope for the people (Isaiah 11:10). Jesus is the Promised One who will reestablish this peaceable kingdom.
Thus, for those who trust in Jesus and call Him Lord, I believe there is a call to choose the harmlessness found in veganism and a plant-based diet. We are to revere life, love all, and re-claim the peace God had originally intended in creation. That for me is "the full knowledge of the Lord", which is to cover the earth, a vision of divine encompassing love.
As we prepare to celebrate new life this Easter, may you choose life over death this Lenten season, by reducing your use of an animal product. And besides, if lions are going to eat hay in the new kingdom, you might find yourself blessed consuming a plant-based diet too!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Being vegan: A is for...
As my vegan choices are becoming more "public", more questions are being asked about why I made that choice, what I eat, what I need. When I saw her this week, my goddaughter began to ask me what I do and do not eat now. While it is easy to say that I simply do not eat any animal products (or that I am on "an indefinite animal consumption" fast), there is more to being a vegan than dietary choices.
I was reminded of that as I've begun reading Joanne Stepaniak's book, "Being Vegan: Living with Conscience, Conviction, and Compassion".
Last week marked the start of the Lunar New Year, but it also ushered in the season of Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday, February 6th. Lent is a season of preparation, when the cold dark deadness of winter breaks forth with the warm new light and life of spring. It is also a time when many followers of Christ fast or abstain from something, so to feast on Someone (God) through the disciplines of sacrifice and prayer.
On the journey to Easter joy, I thought I'd use the next 6 weeks to share more about the principles of a vegan life, and to encourage you (if you've not already made a commitment) to fast this Lent from animal consumption. That might mean not eating meat, or cutting back on meat to once a day or once a week, or pursuing a strict vegetarian diet by not eating anything that comes from an animal source (including dairy, eggs, honey, and butter).
To begin... For a vegan:
A is for ABSTINENCE from animal products.
The popular conception of a vegan today is a person who simply does not eat animal products. A vegan diet is often regarded as one step more "severe" than a vegetarian diet, as all animal sourced food items are "off limits". In other words, vegetarians will eat eggs and cheese, vegans however do not. While this is true, the choice of a total plant-based diet really grows out of the larger vegan commitment.
Veganism grew out of the vegetarian movement in the 1940's. According to Stepaniak, "The term vegetarian was devised solely to describe diet -- nothing else. On the other hand, the term vegan encompasses far more than just what one eats. It is - and has always been - a philosophy of compassionate living, and this is a vital distinction." (p. 9)
In its Articles of Association, The Vegan Society in its conception, defined veganism as a "philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefits of humans, animals, and the environment".
Stepaniak writes,
As a follower of Christ, I have discovered that "vegan values" under gird my desire to honor the Creator by caring for all that the Creator has made. Veganism embodies compassion for every living creature, and embraces responsible stewardship of earth's resources, built on the simple tenet - "Do the least harm, and the most good."
"In the beginning" of Genesis, a portrait of peace in creation is described which God the Creator deems as "good". We often gloss over it, but a plant-based diet is prescribed for humans and for animals in Genesis 1:29-30. It is this harmonious co-existence that God had made, not the creation of humans, I believe, which the Creator deems "very good" (1:31).
Animals were Adam's first companions, whom he names. As Mother Theresa has said, "They (animals), too, are created by the same loving Hand of God which created us.... it is our duty to protect them and to promote their well-being." With continuous reports of animal cruelty, and questionable food industry practices abstaining from any product that comes from an animal is one way to honor the God who has made all and is in all.
As Meister Eckhart has written, "God loves all creatures equally and fills them with His being, and we should lovingly meet all creatures the same way."
This Lent, may you consider reducing your use of an animal product as a sign of your commitment to love and to care for all the creatures God has made.
.
I was reminded of that as I've begun reading Joanne Stepaniak's book, "Being Vegan: Living with Conscience, Conviction, and Compassion".
Last week marked the start of the Lunar New Year, but it also ushered in the season of Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday, February 6th. Lent is a season of preparation, when the cold dark deadness of winter breaks forth with the warm new light and life of spring. It is also a time when many followers of Christ fast or abstain from something, so to feast on Someone (God) through the disciplines of sacrifice and prayer.
On the journey to Easter joy, I thought I'd use the next 6 weeks to share more about the principles of a vegan life, and to encourage you (if you've not already made a commitment) to fast this Lent from animal consumption. That might mean not eating meat, or cutting back on meat to once a day or once a week, or pursuing a strict vegetarian diet by not eating anything that comes from an animal source (including dairy, eggs, honey, and butter).
To begin... For a vegan:
A is for ABSTINENCE from animal products.
The popular conception of a vegan today is a person who simply does not eat animal products. A vegan diet is often regarded as one step more "severe" than a vegetarian diet, as all animal sourced food items are "off limits". In other words, vegetarians will eat eggs and cheese, vegans however do not. While this is true, the choice of a total plant-based diet really grows out of the larger vegan commitment.
Veganism grew out of the vegetarian movement in the 1940's. According to Stepaniak, "The term vegetarian was devised solely to describe diet -- nothing else. On the other hand, the term vegan encompasses far more than just what one eats. It is - and has always been - a philosophy of compassionate living, and this is a vital distinction." (p. 9)
In its Articles of Association, The Vegan Society in its conception, defined veganism as a "philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefits of humans, animals, and the environment".
Stepaniak writes,
"Based on these explanations, the practice of veganism entails abstaining from the use of animal products in every aspect of daily living as much as is possible and practical. Although this includes what one eats, it also extends to all other types of consumables. In addition, vegan practice is coupled with the active pursuit of alternatives to commodities typically made from or with animal products or by-products, as well as the avoidance of animal exploitation and cruelty for any purpose" (p. 3).Abstinence from animal products is the place where veganism often begins.
As a follower of Christ, I have discovered that "vegan values" under gird my desire to honor the Creator by caring for all that the Creator has made. Veganism embodies compassion for every living creature, and embraces responsible stewardship of earth's resources, built on the simple tenet - "Do the least harm, and the most good."
"In the beginning" of Genesis, a portrait of peace in creation is described which God the Creator deems as "good". We often gloss over it, but a plant-based diet is prescribed for humans and for animals in Genesis 1:29-30. It is this harmonious co-existence that God had made, not the creation of humans, I believe, which the Creator deems "very good" (1:31).
Animals were Adam's first companions, whom he names. As Mother Theresa has said, "They (animals), too, are created by the same loving Hand of God which created us.... it is our duty to protect them and to promote their well-being." With continuous reports of animal cruelty, and questionable food industry practices abstaining from any product that comes from an animal is one way to honor the God who has made all and is in all.As Meister Eckhart has written, "God loves all creatures equally and fills them with His being, and we should lovingly meet all creatures the same way."
This Lent, may you consider reducing your use of an animal product as a sign of your commitment to love and to care for all the creatures God has made.
.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Restaurant review: BOK CHOY GARDEN
The Lunar New Year began this past week, and to honor my Chinese heritage, I went out to dinner with my parents and grandmother to celebrate. Because my folks are considerate of my vegan diet when we go out, when I suggested a vegetarian Chinese restaurant near my grandmother's apartment, they were open to giving it a try.
To be honest, I was surprised that my parents were so willing to take my suggestion. This would be their first vegetarian dining experience, but I had every confidence that Bok Choy Garden on Clemet St, near 19th Avenue in San Francisco would not disappoint. And it did not.
Bok Choy Garden is definitely my choice when it comes to vegan Chinese restaurants in the City, if not the Bay Area. I first brought my veg cousins and grandmother there early last year. They liked it. My cousins in turn brought their mom (my aunt) and the rest of their family, along with my grandmother, numerous times since.
Ken, the "shaved head" owner since 2006, along with the wait staff are personable and helpful, answering my questions in English, but also answering my grandmother's questions in Chinese. (If you ask, they have a Chinese-English menu.) While Ken has adapted some of the dishes from the previous owners, he has created some new specialties, with sauces that are vegan, delicious, and familiar in Chinese flavors. (He hopes to bottle them but needs a manufacturer.)
Though parking in this Richmond neighborhood is tough after 6 pm, we pulled up at 5:15 to a parking space right in front of the restaurant. (The wonders of eating early!) We also had no problem getting a table, as the place is small, with limited seating. The restaurant was full by the time we left.
In preparing to order, my grandmother knew exactly what she wanted - crispy taro roll appetizers, wrapped in soy, cut into rolls and fried, served with a light sweet and sour sauce. (We let her enjoy two of the six.) Because my grandmother should not live on appetizers alone, we also ordered for her a cabbage tofu clay pot which was full of other exotic Chinese sea veggies which are familiar, but unnamable to me, yet still enjoyable.
My mom loves eggplant, so we ordered for her braised eggplant in the house special sauce. (My preference however is the spicier version on the menu). At other restaurants, the eggplant swims in oil, but at Bok Choy Garden, the eggplant breathes life, and is gently stir fried, not mushy, in a mild sauce with a subtle kick.
My dad who says, "I'll eat anything", originally wanted to try one of the fake meat beef dishes. But when he discovered that they were all spicy, he settled back into the "whatever". We thus decided to order the crispy veggies with walnuts, a healthy vegan twist to walnut prawns. Though the walnuts looked plain, they were addictive, lightly sweetened and served with a wonderful array of veggies that included snow peas, carrots, water chestnuts, celery, and a mysterious sweet root vegetable. We had our suspicions, and knew it was not turnip so we asked. While my grandma and the wait staff came up with the Chinese name, Ken made the final call in English to confirm that yes, it was jicama, as my mom suspected.
The one dish I really wanted to try was the portobello mushroom and soft tofu, which turned out to be the table favorite. With a huge mushroom perfectly cooked, covering a generous portion of broccoli and tofu, it was not only delicious, but as my mom said, beautifully arranged on the platter.
For the four of us, the four entries plus appetizer, plus an order of white rice and an order of brown rice, was more than enough with leftovers to take home. Though the meal ended with the check, the check came with a delightful complementary dessert, a wonderful surprise, which I won't give away, but many customers afterwards purchase a box of them to go. They are that good.
Other dishes that have gotten a thumbs up:
- One of my cousins really likes the taro casserole with coconut milk.
- The tofu and broccoli with curry sauce over spinach is excellent.
- Before I ran the SF Marathon in July, I carb loaded with a satisfying platter of pan-fried noodles with lohan veggies (chopped rather than shredded).
My grandmother appreciates Bok Choy Garden because unlike traditional Chinese restaurants where my other relatives take her, there is no MSG, and minimal oil in the preparations. My mom was impressed with the variety of selections. It took us a long time to decide what to eat, and through the evening as other tables ordered, the wait staff was often making suggestions. My dad liked the prices and was impressed with the portions, though he as a meat eater racks it up to "it's because there's no meat which is why it's so cheap." (I disagree but that's a topic for another blog.)
For me, I like Bok Choy Garden because they serve brown rice for no additional charge! (It's the little things that make vegan-me happy.)
A shortened version of this review may be found at HappyCow net.
To be honest, I was surprised that my parents were so willing to take my suggestion. This would be their first vegetarian dining experience, but I had every confidence that Bok Choy Garden on Clemet St, near 19th Avenue in San Francisco would not disappoint. And it did not.
Bok Choy Garden is definitely my choice when it comes to vegan Chinese restaurants in the City, if not the Bay Area. I first brought my veg cousins and grandmother there early last year. They liked it. My cousins in turn brought their mom (my aunt) and the rest of their family, along with my grandmother, numerous times since.
Ken, the "shaved head" owner since 2006, along with the wait staff are personable and helpful, answering my questions in English, but also answering my grandmother's questions in Chinese. (If you ask, they have a Chinese-English menu.) While Ken has adapted some of the dishes from the previous owners, he has created some new specialties, with sauces that are vegan, delicious, and familiar in Chinese flavors. (He hopes to bottle them but needs a manufacturer.)
Though parking in this Richmond neighborhood is tough after 6 pm, we pulled up at 5:15 to a parking space right in front of the restaurant. (The wonders of eating early!) We also had no problem getting a table, as the place is small, with limited seating. The restaurant was full by the time we left.
In preparing to order, my grandmother knew exactly what she wanted - crispy taro roll appetizers, wrapped in soy, cut into rolls and fried, served with a light sweet and sour sauce. (We let her enjoy two of the six.) Because my grandmother should not live on appetizers alone, we also ordered for her a cabbage tofu clay pot which was full of other exotic Chinese sea veggies which are familiar, but unnamable to me, yet still enjoyable.
My mom loves eggplant, so we ordered for her braised eggplant in the house special sauce. (My preference however is the spicier version on the menu). At other restaurants, the eggplant swims in oil, but at Bok Choy Garden, the eggplant breathes life, and is gently stir fried, not mushy, in a mild sauce with a subtle kick.
My dad who says, "I'll eat anything", originally wanted to try one of the fake meat beef dishes. But when he discovered that they were all spicy, he settled back into the "whatever". We thus decided to order the crispy veggies with walnuts, a healthy vegan twist to walnut prawns. Though the walnuts looked plain, they were addictive, lightly sweetened and served with a wonderful array of veggies that included snow peas, carrots, water chestnuts, celery, and a mysterious sweet root vegetable. We had our suspicions, and knew it was not turnip so we asked. While my grandma and the wait staff came up with the Chinese name, Ken made the final call in English to confirm that yes, it was jicama, as my mom suspected.
The one dish I really wanted to try was the portobello mushroom and soft tofu, which turned out to be the table favorite. With a huge mushroom perfectly cooked, covering a generous portion of broccoli and tofu, it was not only delicious, but as my mom said, beautifully arranged on the platter.
For the four of us, the four entries plus appetizer, plus an order of white rice and an order of brown rice, was more than enough with leftovers to take home. Though the meal ended with the check, the check came with a delightful complementary dessert, a wonderful surprise, which I won't give away, but many customers afterwards purchase a box of them to go. They are that good.
Other dishes that have gotten a thumbs up:
- One of my cousins really likes the taro casserole with coconut milk.
- The tofu and broccoli with curry sauce over spinach is excellent.
- Before I ran the SF Marathon in July, I carb loaded with a satisfying platter of pan-fried noodles with lohan veggies (chopped rather than shredded).
My grandmother appreciates Bok Choy Garden because unlike traditional Chinese restaurants where my other relatives take her, there is no MSG, and minimal oil in the preparations. My mom was impressed with the variety of selections. It took us a long time to decide what to eat, and through the evening as other tables ordered, the wait staff was often making suggestions. My dad liked the prices and was impressed with the portions, though he as a meat eater racks it up to "it's because there's no meat which is why it's so cheap." (I disagree but that's a topic for another blog.)
For me, I like Bok Choy Garden because they serve brown rice for no additional charge! (It's the little things that make vegan-me happy.)
A shortened version of this review may be found at HappyCow net.
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