Nations are on your plate

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him."

(Psalm 34:8 NIV)

The simple acts of pausing to give thanks for our food, recognising what we have before us and taking pleasure in savouring and eating it slowly, have all been proven to change how we digest our food. Regardless of what we eat, we can alter the nutrition we receive from our food by the way we eat it.

One lunchtime, I paused to do these things with the plate of vegetable stir-fry I had in my hands. And suddenly, I realised I had nations on my plate! I was overwhelmed when God showed me what had gone into my meal. As I looked at what I had, I started to become aware of all that was involved in it being there before me. I had done so little to receive such a gift.

Hours, days, weeks and months had gone into my lunch.

It had taken so much from creation to produce that single meal, soon to become part of my body, nourishing and giving me life.

So many careful hands had touched each ingredient, each person seen and known by the Creator, with their own story of struggle and triumph, sometimes won at great personal cost.

I could picture the rice for my noodles growing far away in the sun and rain, receiving nourishment from the earth. I saw insects, birds and animals helping to create and balance the ecosystems in which each crop flourished. So many parts of God’s creation were needed, all responding to His times and seasons, to yield the fruitful harvests that went into my meal.

I could see the faithfulness of the farmers, planting and watching over the crop to ensure it would grow well. Each vegetable, plant and tree needing to be gently tended in just the right way. I could see hands picking the vegetables, gathering in the harvest, placing it all carefully into boxes so it would arrive on the supermarket shelf, still fresh and attractive enough for me to choose it over something else.

I thought about the crushing and pressing of the seeds, squeezing out the oil I would use to cook and flavour my food. And how Jesus, there in that garden, surrounded by God’s creation, was also crushed and pressed in His soul, as He made the choice to endure the agony of the cross for the joy of knowing that I would be His (Heb 12:2).

I tasted the rich savoury flavours of fermented soy beans, the result of ancient practices kept faithfully and passed down through generations for us to enjoy today. How privileged we are that the ancient practices of knowing and worshipping God have also been faithfully kept and passed down. So many have gone before and we live in the freedom they have bought for us, usually without acknowledging or recognising the cost.

I imagined all those who had played their part in transporting the ingredients for my lunch to where they needed to go. Fathers driving trucks, sons passing days on ships, daughters loading planes and checking off the inventory each step of the way. I saw mothers in urban factories processing and packing the food, all working hard to provide for their children and to provide food for me.

And then closer to home, those creating and designing the food packaging, striving to please our eyes, thoughts and pockets. Hands stocking and labelling shelves, defining by monetary value what has a much greater worth when seen from God's perspective.

How rarely we pause to see the nations represented there on our plates. I am so privileged. In comparision to most of the world, it costs me very little to buy my food. I so often take and eat without much thought or consideration. It costs many people great effort, time and care to produce what I consume in a moment.

Perhaps you could stop and pause when you next have time, before eating a meal. Look at the ingredients and ask God to show you who and what might have been involved in producing them. Take time to give thanks for what you have and to pray for the people and nations who have shared their harvest with you. Ask God to bless your body through what you eat.

Father God, thank you so much for your faithful provision in the food I eat every day, year after year. Thank you that I can taste and experience the goodness of your creation in the unending variety of choice available to me. Please cause me to stop more often and think about how and what I consume. Holy Spirit, help me to see who is behind the effortless choices I make, to recognise those working to provide for me and see the fruit of nations on my plate from your perspective. In Jesus' name, amen.

If you would like to discover more about the impact of how you eat influences your nutrition, click here.