Two weeks ago, I visited a friend’s garden in Mississippi and discovered that onions grow as a bulb in the ground. And last week, I saw a discussion about them in an airline magazine. You might say “Why would onions interest you?” Well, since I have been on a low carb diet for the last 5 months, food in general grabs my attention and “spiced” up food makes my mouth water. Thus, the interest in onions.

For your information, apparently we eat about 20 pounds of onions a year. Our preference is the yellow onion, but the red ones are starting to appear in lots more sandwiches, pizzas and other dishes across the country.

With the desire for spicy food center place in my mind, I read a very interesting article in a newsletter put out by Biola University. The author (Brett McCracken) was making the case that food is discussed all throughout the Bible and that for Christians, there should be a real connection between our eating habits and our faith.

Brett makes the point that food itself is a gift from God and that we should be good stewards of what God provides for us. He goes on to emphasize that there is power behind what we buy and we should use that power of consumption for good purposes, supporting sustainable food practices worldwide.

But the best part of the article was the nine tips for “eating christianly.” I pass them along in this musing as a way to provoke your thinking. They might be good topics for small group discussions this week:

1. Slow Down. Try to find time to truly enjoy food. Prepare it yourself. Savor it.
2. Give Thanks. For the food you have, for the hands that prepared it, for the land and animals it comes from, above all for God the provider.
3. Show Hospitality. Invite others to dine with you. Follow Jesus’ example. Share food with strangers. Throw long dinner parties.
4. Eat in Community. Enjoy food with others. Let it be a unifying source of social pleasure.
5. Be Sensitive to Those around You. Many people struggle with food-related issues, keep this in mind as you eat.
6. Eat Justly. Recognize that your eating affects others. Try to support ethical and just food practices through discerning consumer choices.
7. Fight Global Hunger. Remember that nearly 1 billion people in the world do not have enough to eat. Do what you can to feed the hungry in your community.
8. Develop Taste. Expose yourself to new things and expand your palate.
9. Eat Humbly. Eat with thanksgiving.

So, this week, Bon Appétit…Christianly!

By His Grace and for His Glory,
Sherry L. Worel