I am not at all an enlightened eater. I grew up eating fish sticks and going out to eat for catfish, occasionally, but never raw fish. I just can’t get my head around the idea. I also grew up around people who had a fear of raw, undercooked food and the damage it could do to a person. So “RAW” = dangerous to me. I have followed these sensible eating rules for most of my life. Cook food until it gives up. I don’t like raw vegetables that have been placed into hot water for 2-3 seconds and are “balanced”. I like my vegetables soft and completely limp. All my food friends roll their eyes at me when I talk about my eating style.
When I started traveling on mission trips, I had to face the reality that in foreign lands a person will be offered foreign foods and it is necessary to eat the food, without objection, as to not cause hurt feelings. Once, I was served a bowl of cold mushrooms with a congealed gelatinous sauce on them. As I dug into the bowl of inch sized grey blobs, I was told. with pride, that they had picked them in the forest that morning. It was disgusting, but I smiled. In Ethiopia, I sat down at a table with the President of the country. We were at one of his retreat homes in the Eastern Mountains. We were sitting outside with servants standing all around us. They brought food to us. A waiter put a huge spoon of raw meat on my plate. I was told that the meat was from deep within the animal, that it was amazing and safe to eat. The next hour was a real challenge.
Each time, I pray the prayer I was taught, “Lord, I will get this down, you will help me keep this down and get it through me, just not too fast.” Mostly, God has answered that prayer.
While on vacation, I saw this sign. It made me laugh and shake my head. I can’t imagine anyone having any meals per month of mercury loaded bass let alone twice a month. Why would someone want to do this? How could it be possible that eating fish from this little lake was that important? After reading the sign, I would asses the lake as catch and release.
Whenever we feed ourselves from the toxic waste of this world, whenever we feed our ego with pride, false flattery, and haughtiness it is as if we are eating pollution. When we dip back again into the well of sin, we might as well be drinking mercury. It builds up in our system and destroys us, yet we have the meal over and over again. Feed on the words of the Lord, for they alone can fill your soul.