I’ve been teaching classes and workshops about food – and the global implications of our daily food choices – for several years. Over the course of those teaching opportunities, I’ve discovered a pair of questions that really gets a lively discussion started. The first question is: What are your values? In other words, what are the ideals by which you live your life, by which you decide right or wrong, by which you choose to go left or right? This... Read more
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 NRSV Scripture contains hundreds of references to the idea of justice: teaching that it is part of the nature of God, commending the doing of justice as the task of a faithful people, calling for injustices to be remedied, and suggesting that the foundation of broad societal justice is for each person to be living... Read more
What is Food Justice? It’s a question with which we frequently wrestle, because we are so frequently asked. What we’ve found is that the answer seems to have different nuances in different contexts. The definition takes on different shades as it becomes part of various conversations. So here are some definitions and thoughts and questions for you to consider, as we embark upon this journey of 40 Days for Food Justice. After you read some or all of them, add your... Read more
Ash Wednesday is upon us and we are once again entering into the season of Lent. We transition from Fat Tuesday to Ash Wednesday; we move from feasting to fasting. As you move into this time of preparation, use the Lenten disciplines below to help create for yourself and your family a deeper awareness of global issues of food justice, as well as the implications of your personal food choices. And don’t forget to sign up to receive this blog... Read more
Continuing the Journey by Rev. MargaretAnne Overstreet After 40 days of stories and reflections about gardening, hospitality, cooking classes, industrial agriculture, subsistence farmers, hunger, and food choices … we have only just scratched the surface of that hard-to-define topic of ‘food justice.’ The stories from the 40 Days for Food Justice project have touched us, challenged us, taught us, and opened our eyes to the ways in which food affects us and connects us. These stories have encouraged us to... Read more
“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.” Luke 24:30-31 “Cooking demands attention, patience, and above all, a respect for the gifts of the earth. It is a form of worship, a way of giving thanks.” – Judith B. Jones “Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not... Read more
Setting the Table by Jennifer Baker-Trinity It’s quiet. The task is so mundane. Unfold the paper napkin. In the center, lay down the knife, then the fork, and then the spoon to make a wobbly tower and roll. Fold in the sides, roll away from you and fold some more. Take a strip of recycled paper (an old menu, perhaps), make a ring around the center and tape. Voila! The silverware is ready. It’s time to set the table. I... Read more
Sacramental Meals by Rev. MargaretAnne Overstreet It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon when a group of church members gathered in one member’s yard and began to collect grapes from the rows and rows of vines. One for the bucket. One for me. One for the bucket . . . Firm, ripe, and sweet, the grapes were hard to resist. After all, eating straight from the vine is one of the pleasures and perks of growing your own food. These grapes,... Read more
“How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” 1 John 3:17-18 “When people were hungry, Jesus didn’t say, ‘Now is that political, or social?’ He said, ‘I feed you.’ Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.” – Desmond Tutu “Hunger is not an issue of charity. It... Read more
The Food Stamp Challenge by Rev. Jim Montgomery Suppose your household income is at or below the poverty line and your family must now get by on food stamps. Most of us have never experienced that, have we? Ivan Herman, a Presbyterian pastor in Sacramento, and his family did just that as their Lenten discipline last year. The June 10, 2013 issue of the Presbyterian Outlook reported that Herman, his wife Susan and their two children decided they wanted to... Read more
The 40 Day Journey
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