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.