When I was in my twenties, I had a fasting
ritual over Easter weekend. After
Maundy Thursday’s “last supper”, I would eat only fruits, veggies and pita
until after service on Easter Sunday.
It was a small sacrifice by me to remind me of the huge sacrifice made
FOR me. I would also find time to
listen to the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack at least once. And I would read the Easter story in
the bible (and end up singing some more JCSuperstar lines).
One of the pastors at my church also has a
fasting ritual. He does not eat
anything from after supper on Wednesday to suppertime on Thursday.
Another friend fasts for the entire Lenten
period: no meat or dairy.
There are many religious rituals surrounding
food: how it is killed; how it is
cooked; how it is prepared; how it is eaten; etc. But when we have food rituals that aren’t tied to a
faith-based prescription, it can be called, in the extreme case, an eating disorder. What is it about food fascinates
us? Why is food ‘all consuming’? (see what I did there?)
Eating is the most sensual thing we do as
humans. It involves all five
senses: sight, smell, touch, taste and sound. People with sensory processing issues (see post #19) have a
very hard time at meals, especially in restaurants. The onslaught to your nose, eyes and ears can be very
overwhelming.
And eating is very personal. Even sex doesn’t invade your body as much
as food does.
There are so many unspoken rules about meals:
what is a breakfast food and why does it have to be only in the morning when
you are breaking your overnight fast?
Why don’t we eat dessert first?
Why do we feel bad about ourselves when we break rules that are quite
arbitrary?
There are even rules about food choices and
amounts to consume based on gender!
Naomi Wolf said: If women cannot eat the same
food as men, we cannot experience equal status in the community.
Food for thought this Easter weekend:
Rules for Sharing Food
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p7L9QAhrIA
