Near and Dear

It’s been a bit since I last wrote to you and I’ve had a few blog ideas mulling about in my head for a while now.  Now it’s time for pen to hit the paper – so to speak. 

Pete was reading in one of his Grazing Magazines  “Evangelical Christians purchase substantially less organic food that their less religious peers” .  That struck me so hard.  As many of you – well all of you probably- know we are a Christian family.  A farming Christian family.  Being a Christian is what compels us to do what we do the way we do it.  I believe that farming/agriculture are quite near and dear to our Lord’s heart.  I’ve said it before, and I’m going to say it again – God cares about what you’re eating.  Let me tell you my thoughts on why:

1.       He created you and wants you to be well.  Did God create something with flaws?  No, sin corrupts our world around us and things in their natural state can be as close to what God intended them to be like.  So why do we fill our bodies with things and chemicals that are far from what God originally designed and created?  Was Eden a feedlot where the cows were stuffed with grain to get them fat for eating?  No, it was a garden – where animals whose bodies were designed to eat and ruminate on grasses could eat that. When a Cow is fed grass and hay – like their bodies were designed to process- the fats in the meat have the PERFECT omega 6’s to Omega3’s ratio!  Imagine that – when something is done the way God intended, it is perfect.  Our bodies need these fats, and the amino acids, and congregated linoleic acids that is created by this food.  So do your body a favor and respect your body that God gave you and feed it good things. 

a.       A subset to this point would be that God created your body to be the temple of His Holy Spirit. So why on earth are you not caring about the foods you put in it?  Why are we feeding it all this processed items that aren’t even food.  You are tarnishing the gift that was given to you in your body.  Care for it – give it good food.  Food from a farm.  From a farm that farms in a way that is reminiscent and honoring of God’s original design. 

2.       He cares about the animals.  Animals are all through the Scriptures.  From horses in Revalation, to Balaam’s donkey, to instructing the Isrealites not to muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.  He cares how they are treated and what happens to them.  Whether we like the thought or not, we may have to give an account for how the foods we chose to eat were treated.  We are called to care about what our King cares about.  He cares about lost souls, He cares about our tears, and He cares about the animals He created.  So feed your family food from a farm where you can know that the animals are treated in the most God honoring humane way possible.  We would do no less because we are also accountable for how we treat these creatures entrusted to us. 

3.       He cares about our planet.  God didn’t just create this earth and then leave it to it’s own devices.  No, we can see time and time again in His word that He cares about the planet that He created.  From the intricacies of how each and every cell in a tree is so perfect, to how He instructed the ancient Isrealites to not cut down the trees of the territories they conquered – for they were to be a food source.  When Christ returned after His resurrection who did he look like?  A gardener.  He had just returned from Glory and comes back looking like a farmer.  Interesting…. So honor your King in choosing to eat foods that aren’t harming the lands around them.  Genetic modification of His original design not only can hurt our bodies, it hurts His land.  Buy your food from a farmer you can go and visit and ask them good deep probing questions about how they are raising that food for you.  Don’t be lazy.  Be proactive about caring about what God cares about.

It hurts me to know that I know about 10 total Christians who buy their food from us or any other farm.  Why oh WHY are Christians not caring about this?  We of all people should be the most enthusiastic about this because we know who made it!  He entrusted this to us.  How we have squandered it.  And yet many Christians look down on those who do care about the animals, the way they eat, and the health of the planet as crazy people.  Yet sadly these people are doing what Christians ought to.  Stewardship is something that all Christians are commanded to do.  Stewarding of your own body, your finances, your time and the earth.  We all will be accountable before the Lord for what we’ve done in these areas.  I want to hear – “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  I want to steward well all that He has given me and get as close to His original design as I can.  I wish oh I wish more Christians would join me.  Care about your food, care about your body, care about this earth!  Honor the Lord while you do it.  This is the root of why we farm the way we do.