Last week, urban church planter (and Lenten Paleo Crossfitter) Aaron Damiani outlined the shifting places that food and sex hold in our cultural morality. (Be sure to read that first part—it's important). Today, Aaron lets the other fork drop, outlining implications for pastors. -Paul
In part 1 of this article, I explored the shifting morality around appetites among the young and urban. Even as the current generation regards sex as largely a matter of personal preference, many estimate that food is governed by universal laws. How are we to respond as pastors within our cultural moment? Here I offer four ways to respond to this new morality.
When you encounter someone with passion about food, draw out their insights, opinions, and research without patronizing in response.
1. We can be teachable rather than dismissive. Perhaps you do not relate with the conviction that eating must be ethical. This trend may strike you as strange and lopsided. If so, you may be tempted to roll your eyes at the fussiness and write the movement off entirely. In the end, I believe this would be a lost opportunity. Why not be curious instead? Consider this: scientists, Millennials, and the culturally elite—3 groups unlikely to attend a church—all have something to teach us about food and the powerful role it plays in shaping our bodies and the world our bodies inhabit. This is our Father's world; we have nothing to lose from learning about it from thoughtful people. When you encounter someone with passion about food, draw out their insights, opinions, and research without patronizing in response. Seek to understand how they have come to their current convictions about food, and you gain both knowledge as well as increased trust in the relationship. Naturally, the best setting for this conversation is over a meal.
2. We can affirm the resurrection of the body among Millennials. The food/sex reversal is prominent among the young and privileged—and it is the young and privileged that most need to be reminded of their finitude. For all its benefits, eating clean has a shelf life. Our bodies, sown in weakness as they are, will gradually deteriorate and ultimately fail us whether we eat gluten along the way or not. Millennials are a generation of hope, but I fear that false optimism about their physical existence have set them up for despair.
Millennials are a generation of hope, but I fear that false optimism about their physical existence have set them up for despair.
The process of nature has a way of puncturing any hope we have in our body's limitlessness. In this moment, pastors have an opportunity to affirm that it is indeed good and right to hope for immortality, provided one's hope is tethered to the only vehicle which can actually deliver it: Christ's bodily resurrection from the dead, a reality eventually shared with the people of God. The writers of the New Testament love to talk about beautiful and glorious bodies, and so should we. We can teach people inside and outside the church that a perfect body is both a prize and an inheritance, received after death by those who are united with Christ in this life. Don't just deconstruct false hope; describe a better and truer one.
3. We can wisely shepherd both the foodie "elder brothers" and foodie "younger brothers." In his book The Prodigal God, Tim Keller identifies two key characters in the parable of the prodigal son: a moralistic elder brother who follows all of the rules, and an impious younger brother who defies the prevailing morality. I believe the new food righteousness has produced both "elder siblings" and "younger siblings," both of whom may be in our congregations or spheres of influence. The elder siblings are those who put their hope in food-righteous, however they define it. This morality code has made them smug, neurotic, or both. When the opportunity presents itself, we can warning the food-pious among us of the temptation to engage in self-righteous shaming and tongue-clucking at those who fall short. Furthermore, they need to be encouraged to engage and learn from the new science about food without being carried away by its promises. Younger siblings, on the other hand, are in a state of rebellion against the new food asceticism. I would posit that this is a populous group. A recent Chevrolet Silverado commercial tapped into the younger brother sentiment by declaring "… tofu, and veggie burgers, and raw kale salads … be damned." When people are shamed, especially about their diet, they often react with defiance and anger. A wise shepherd can help them identify their anger and teach them how to respond in the way of Jesus. Ultimately, both elder siblings and younger siblings need to transact with the grace of God, which promises to heal and set in order our relationship with food.
4. We can commission those in the food industry to carry out the creation mandate. When God blessed man and woman and invited them to rule the earth under his authority, he specifically mentions the food supply: "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of the earth, and every tree … you shall have them for food" (Gen 1:29-30). Food is fundamental to our care for and interaction with God's creation. Many of us minister among those who steward the earth's food supply through their work in restaurants, farms, meat-packing facilities, food distribution centers, and Community Supported Agriculture. We can affirm the employees and owners of these establishments that the food industry and their work within it matters to God, and encourage them to pursue justice and the common good through their work.
We can affirm the employees and owners of these establishments that the food industry and their work within it matters to God, and encourage them to pursue justice and the common good through their work.
It is precisely this vision which inspired my friends Ernie and Katrina Didot to start Bowl of Good in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Their menu offers food that is locally grown, delicious, good for both the body and the environment. They understand the origins and supply chain of the food they serve, and work hard to ensure that they are procuring food in ways that are just.
The impact of the new food morality is both deep and wide. These are my ideas for how we might respond, and I would love to read yours.
Aaron Damiani is the pastor of Immanuel Anglican Church in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. You can find him on Twitter at @aarondamiani.
