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.
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Sunday, March 23, 2008
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, December 23, 2007
Dining decisions
Before choosing a vegetarian diet (let alone a vegan lifestyle), I never enjoyed eating out with the "high maintenance" foodie, the picky person, who won't eat this, or isn't in the mood for that, for whatever reason. Typically, the "high maintenance one" becomes the default, determining factor of where a group will eat as all attention is consumed by his or her dietary needs or concerns.
Personally, I never liked being the center of that much attention, especially when it comes to food, and for that reason I spent half a year as a "closet vegetarian". I would eat as a vegetarian on my own and would only cook veg meals, but when out with friends, whether in a home or at a restaurant, I would eat as a carnivore, if needed.
Though that is no longer the case since I "came out" of the vegetarian closet, I still do not like being the "high maintenance one" and the center of a group's restaurant decision. With the holidays upon us, friends wanting to eat out, and folks trying to understand vegan-me, more and more I am getting pigeon holed as the "high maintenance one" and I don't like it.
With my diet the center of the decision, I now hear deliberations like:
- "Wait, we can't go there. There may be no vegetarian options."
- "If we can go here, there may be nothing for you to eat."
- "Are you be OK with (fill in the blank)? We don't want you to starve."
My "broken record" response: "Don't worry about me. I can always find something to eat."
And thus far, that has been my reality. As a vegan or a vegetarian when dining out, I've learned that a combination of appetizers does make a very good meal, most anywhere you may go.
This week, for example, Japanese was the plan, as the conclusion of my friends was: "You should be able to find a vegetarian entrée there." The sad reality: No. Other than vegetable tempura (which is too fried for my healthy taste buds), there were no other vegetarian entrees. But appetizers do make a good meal, as I enjoyed Oshitashi (cold Japanese spinach salad), edamame, and a garden sushi roll with mango, avocado, radish. Pretty yummy, especially with my "heavy on the wasabe, light on the soy sauce" mixture.
When creating a meal out of appetizers, knowing what your body needs for a healthy diet is the simple key. For me, it is typically a ring of 3: a vegetable, a carb, and a protein. And at most restaurants, I can usually find appetizers that have what I need to make a meal, even at a Texas Barbecue!
To celebrate my dad's birthday, my family wanted to celebrate his 70th at a restaurant we knew he would enjoy. My mom's recommendation and thus our choice: the newly remodeled Back Forty Texas BBQ restaurant in Pleasant Hill.
I checked out the on-line menu and knew what I would order even before we arrived at the restaurant and were seated in our own little private room for this special occasion. My family was happy as they enjoyed an assortment of barbecued dead animal flesh, and I was happy with my appetizer meal of vegetable soup, BBQ beans, and sweet potato fries.
I am learning that appetizers can and do make a yummy meal when eating out with non-vegetarian friends at MOST restaurants. But sometimes, when the crowd is craving L & L Hawaiian Barbecue (like my friends were on Thursday), thank God that there was a Chipotle and a vegetarian burrito next door!
Personally, I never liked being the center of that much attention, especially when it comes to food, and for that reason I spent half a year as a "closet vegetarian". I would eat as a vegetarian on my own and would only cook veg meals, but when out with friends, whether in a home or at a restaurant, I would eat as a carnivore, if needed.
Though that is no longer the case since I "came out" of the vegetarian closet, I still do not like being the "high maintenance one" and the center of a group's restaurant decision. With the holidays upon us, friends wanting to eat out, and folks trying to understand vegan-me, more and more I am getting pigeon holed as the "high maintenance one" and I don't like it.
With my diet the center of the decision, I now hear deliberations like:
- "Wait, we can't go there. There may be no vegetarian options."
- "If we can go here, there may be nothing for you to eat."
- "Are you be OK with (fill in the blank)? We don't want you to starve."
My "broken record" response: "Don't worry about me. I can always find something to eat."
And thus far, that has been my reality. As a vegan or a vegetarian when dining out, I've learned that a combination of appetizers does make a very good meal, most anywhere you may go.
This week, for example, Japanese was the plan, as the conclusion of my friends was: "You should be able to find a vegetarian entrée there." The sad reality: No. Other than vegetable tempura (which is too fried for my healthy taste buds), there were no other vegetarian entrees. But appetizers do make a good meal, as I enjoyed Oshitashi (cold Japanese spinach salad), edamame, and a garden sushi roll with mango, avocado, radish. Pretty yummy, especially with my "heavy on the wasabe, light on the soy sauce" mixture.
When creating a meal out of appetizers, knowing what your body needs for a healthy diet is the simple key. For me, it is typically a ring of 3: a vegetable, a carb, and a protein. And at most restaurants, I can usually find appetizers that have what I need to make a meal, even at a Texas Barbecue!
To celebrate my dad's birthday, my family wanted to celebrate his 70th at a restaurant we knew he would enjoy. My mom's recommendation and thus our choice: the newly remodeled Back Forty Texas BBQ restaurant in Pleasant Hill.
I checked out the on-line menu and knew what I would order even before we arrived at the restaurant and were seated in our own little private room for this special occasion. My family was happy as they enjoyed an assortment of barbecued dead animal flesh, and I was happy with my appetizer meal of vegetable soup, BBQ beans, and sweet potato fries.
I am learning that appetizers can and do make a yummy meal when eating out with non-vegetarian friends at MOST restaurants. But sometimes, when the crowd is craving L & L Hawaiian Barbecue (like my friends were on Thursday), thank God that there was a Chipotle and a vegetarian burrito next door!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
The most of every opportunity
"Do you eat jello?" my goddaughter asked me a few days ago. My knee-jerk answer: "No, not really", to which she immediately responded with the ever persistent, "Why?"
Though she is now 11 years old and in middle school, she will always be 5 years old in my eyes. Knowing jello is made out of cow bones, I thought that might be too much information for her, so I replied nonchalantly, "I just don't like it" and proceeded to get a glass of water.
I thought that was the end of the jello conversation until dinner when she asked me, "Did you know that jello is made out of cow bones?" "Yes," I replied, probably sounding a bit shocked. "That's the reason why I don't eat jello," I explained.
When I asked her how she learned the truth about jello, my meat-eating goddaughter proceeded to give me a vegetarian lesson.
On an extra-curricular class trip, their school advisor took them to a restaurant, which served jello. While the kids were eating, the teacher told them where jello comes from. This fact caused one of the girls to spit out the jello in her mouth. Many in the group proclaimed that they would never eat jello again.
"Jello has never tasted the same since then," she told me. "I don't eat it anymore."
I discovered in that moment that a child is never too young to learn the realities of the source of their food and develop values which respect creation, and every living thing the Creator has made. With the next generation, it is important to make the most of every opportunity, especially when questions from young voices are heard. I almost missed this opportunity.
By choosing to not eat jello, my goddaughter (who liked eating fruit more than meat when she was young) has moved one step closer to following in my footsteps as a vegan. I'm so proud!
Though she is now 11 years old and in middle school, she will always be 5 years old in my eyes. Knowing jello is made out of cow bones, I thought that might be too much information for her, so I replied nonchalantly, "I just don't like it" and proceeded to get a glass of water.
I thought that was the end of the jello conversation until dinner when she asked me, "Did you know that jello is made out of cow bones?" "Yes," I replied, probably sounding a bit shocked. "That's the reason why I don't eat jello," I explained.
When I asked her how she learned the truth about jello, my meat-eating goddaughter proceeded to give me a vegetarian lesson.
On an extra-curricular class trip, their school advisor took them to a restaurant, which served jello. While the kids were eating, the teacher told them where jello comes from. This fact caused one of the girls to spit out the jello in her mouth. Many in the group proclaimed that they would never eat jello again.
"Jello has never tasted the same since then," she told me. "I don't eat it anymore."
I discovered in that moment that a child is never too young to learn the realities of the source of their food and develop values which respect creation, and every living thing the Creator has made. With the next generation, it is important to make the most of every opportunity, especially when questions from young voices are heard. I almost missed this opportunity.
By choosing to not eat jello, my goddaughter (who liked eating fruit more than meat when she was young) has moved one step closer to following in my footsteps as a vegan. I'm so proud!
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