In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen!
Are you a foodie?
She brought the fresh, warm bread to her nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled rich, promising a delightful taste. Picking up a knife, she applied copious amounts of thick, creamy almond butter. She spooned out a dollop of sweet, tangy blackberry jelly. Then she slathered the sweet mixture onto the spongy white bread. She ripped off a chunk, stuffing the piece into her mouth. Ummm she exclaimed with a blissful expression. I imagine it felt soft and warm in her mouth. The pleasant smoothness of the almond butter must have blended perfectly with the bitter-sweet taste of blackberries.
As I watched the lady sitting across from me at the dinner, eating her toast, my mouth watered, suddenly I was hungrier than I have ever felt, even though I had just eaten. I decided I too must have this bliss moment of deliciousness. I called the waiter and said, “I want what she's having.” To my disappointment, the waiter notified me they are out of bread. By now, I have resembled a pregnant woman who couldn’t control her cravings. Never mind my plans to study for an exam. I went to the store bought almond butter and went home to make the toast.
Do you love food? Are you obsessed about a specific restaurant? Is food the first thought that comes to your mind when you wake up? If so, join the club. My name is Sina and I am a foodie. I am always thinking about what I will eat, where I will eat, and when I will eat. Food is the center of my life. I am also the pickiest eater you have ever met. Thus, eating a meal is a work on it's on. I have to prepare it a certain way or order it a certain way, which usually takes a lot of time and effort.
Little did I know, my obsession with food is a sin, it’s called Gluttony. It’s a sin we often don't recognize and talk about or even understand. We usually glide passed through this sin when we confess about lying or having lustful thoughts because we don’t see our obsession with food as a sin. However, gluttony is a big sin, especially in Western countries. Food has become a trend of unique tastes and presentation. It is presented in a tempting manner on TV and billboards commercials as if it was porn, literally creating uncontrollable feelings of craving. Some of us don’t eat out of hunger but out of addiction. The definition of gluttony is habitual greed or excessive eating. It is understood as the greed that surrounds eating and drinking or the self-indulgence of the mouth and the belly. It is therefore when a person reaches a point when the excess of eating and drinking becomes a norm (and not out of the need to satisfy hunger, quench thirst, rather because the person became a slave to his/her appetite). Eating to just eat, continuing to eat even when you are full, and eating more than you can handle all these are considered gluttony.
The sense of taste has to be trained so that it does not dictate what one eats at all times. To have a liking for a gourmet food all the time, and conversely, to have a disliking for humble foods is not the way of spiritual perfection. It is not a sin to eat delicious food once in a while, for example on feasts and when we have guests. For even the Father of Prodigal sun ordered them to “bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry” (Luke 15:23). Even the fathers of the desert broke their austere diet of dry bread, salt, and water whenever they had a guest.
However, obsessing about food is a different story. Food is a necessity, we eat to fulfill a physical need. Our body doesn’t require gourmet or trendy food to survive. Food should not serve for anything other than fulfilling hunger. The first world problems such as obesity, bulimia, food addiction are all the causes of gluttony. The opposite of that is anorexia being controlled by food so much that you don’t eat. All these food-related problems make me wonder, have we become a society of food slaves? Are we worshiping food? What a scary world that would be. When I see how much thought I put into my meals and the extent I go to fulfill my cravings, I am troubled to admit that I am idolizing food.
Reminder: the purpose of all passions is to disorient a person. In fact, rather than having our lives directed towards God, we find ourselves running after and preoccupied with worldly and sinful things. Hence, the same applies to gluttony: the person’s energy is directed towards food and drink, and not worshiping God, as intended by God. Rather, they are submitting to their own “god.”
As Christians we have to do everything for God’s glory, even our eating must be for God’s glory. If that is the case, we must not live to eat rather we have to eat so we can live. St. Paul tells us, “everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (Phil 4:12). That means that I can enjoy a good meal but I can also endure hunger. I eat delicious food sometimes but I also eat humble food when I have to, for example during fasting. Train your taste buds to be content with whatever food there is. Fasting is a great time to think about our sins of gluttony.
Also, it’s important to remember that sin for humans began with food. One bite into the forbidden food had such a disastrous outcome. The devil tempts us with anything he can get his hands on. It could be food during fasting period or craving of specific foods. The devil even tempted Jesus saying, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread,” to which Jesus responded, “... Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4). Jesus reminded us food is not the most important thing, which is why some saints lived by eating one pea for an entire day.
I am already a sinner on many accounts, gluttony is not one I want to add. I will start working on eating for God’s glory. I will eat appropriately during meal time after I have said a prayer. I will eat to glorify God through my strength. I will not think about food until my body reminds me. I will not be picky nor hunt food to fulfill my cravings. Instead, I will eat food that gives me life on this earth and in the coming world. I will eat the bread of life and drink the blood of Jesus Christ in order to survive spiritually. After all, this world is passing, thus food and it likes.
Let us be reminded that all God has created for us was meant to be good and used for our sakes. Hence, let us not take God’s great gifts and turn them into idols that we run after and enslave ourselves to. May God grant us victory to turn our hearts and spirits towards Him.
Glory to God, Amen.
Reference:
Practical Spirituality by Fr. Athanasius Iskander
