"For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding."
Romans 14:17-19
I am a big fan of Andrew Zimmer’s series, Bizarre Foods. I enjoy watching him eat things that westerners would normally throw away as "too disgusting". I have watched him eat a frog’s beating heart in Japan, stuffed lamb pancreas in Morocco, and jellied eels in the United Kingdom. In the early times of the Church, food and drink were often used as sacrifices to pagan gods. In the early years of the church there were questions of whether it was acceptable to consume food that was used in this manner.
In Paul's reading he tells us that we should not condemn our fellow Christians because of what they eat. In today’s world there are many things that I would not eat—even if it is good for me—but we should not let food come between how we live our lives in the goodness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. We should strive to serve Christ and that in that way we will please God. So tonight, when I order that pizza with anchovies, I will make sure to edify my fellow Christians as we work toward harmony in the church.
Brenda Boucher
