sending the rich away empty

This past couple of weeks or so I've been straining against the confines of my 'diet' - perhaps more so because the end is closer than it has been for ages (what a surprise).  At home it is fairly easy to adapt, once you've changed around your store cupboard and learned alternative recipes, but a diet that is both yeast free and dairy free is a challenge when out at an event or visiting someone.  Sorry, no, I can't have that.  No, sorry, I can't have that either.  It can actually get rather awkward. Plus I end up sitting around with my tummy rumbling and my waistband getting so loose you could perch a sizeable kitten in it (not that I'd want to).

Coincidentally, the 'end' of this exclusion diet will be around Easter itself - although re-introduction will be deliberately slow.  It will feel like coming to the end to a Lenten fast - except it's lasted six months instead of 40 days.  It's not been a fast for that kind of reason, of course, and I shouldn't tell you if I had been 'fasting' in this way.

Interesting tangent - should Christians even ask each other what we're giving up for Lent?  Didn't Jesus say we weren't to draw attention the the fact?  Fascinating to reflect on this, and may consider it at a later date.  In the meantime, I will steer myself back on course, because what I have to say is important (gosh).

Despite not fasting for this kind of reason, nonetheless my diet of denial keeps reminding me of the sheer luxury and amount of our food we have in our culture.  The array of food lined up as refreshments at events, party food, dining out, cookery books and culinary programmes - what new taste can we find?  Who is the best chef, anyway?

We have so much.  As I consider this, the words from Mary's song leap into my mind -

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. - Luke 1:53

That's God's way; that's good news. His is the way we don't expect, defying predictability, turning everything around.

We are so rich.  Many have no choice as to what they eat - or even if they eat.  Rumbly tummies and minor hunger pangs are nothing compared to the sufferings of those who struggle to eat once a day.  Are we, as the body of Christ, as representatives of the good news, enacting the kingdom principles of the first being last, of the poor being blessed, of the hungry being filled?

Last week I attended a public talk at which I heard the following statistic. I wrote it down and stared at it, underlining it as if I needed convincing further.

Annually, 850 million people suffer from being malnourished, while 1 billion are clinically ill from obesity. 


The extreme is gut-wrenching.

• He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

• 850 million people suffer from being malnourished, while 1 billion are clinically ill from obesity. 

Everything is the wrong way round when compared to the pattern of the kingdom.  And we cannot escape it; we cannot profess ignorance.  In a culture where our communities are vast and our networks worldwide, can we really exist in our little bubble of plenty and assume we'll get a pat on the back and a smile?

My disappointment at not being able to eat a cupcake is laughable.



Image:  BBC Good Food website

intolerant...

image from Stock.xchng

From a recent food intolerance test* I've taken, it looks like I'm intolerant to cow's milk and yeast (and, somewhat randomly, cashews!).  I know these tests are not clinically proven but I've heard a lot of positive anecdotal evidence, so I felt it was worth a try - at least it gives me a chance to test it out by making significant dietary changes.

And significant is what they are.  Suddenly everything needs to be dairy free, which takes out anything derived from cow's milk - obviously cream, cheese, ice cream, chocolate...but there's a lot of food which contains cow's milk or its derivatives, in various sauces, soups and many 'store cupboard' ingredients.  And yeast, of course, does not merely mean taking out bread and marmite.  Do you realise how many foods contain yeast or yeast extract?  Over half of the foods in our cupboard and fridge are suddenly a no-no on yeast alone.  And when it comes to finding things that are dairy and yeast free - well, therein lies the real challenge.

Still, I like to have something I can do.  For someone who has suffered from chronic fatigue for over half of her life, and the last few years the delight of 'chronic headaches', the idea of something I can actually tackle comes as something of a relief.  I'm not going to assume it's going to solve everything - I know for me at least it's more complex than that - but it might help.

I can do something practical to help myself, based on something specific.  Which is something of a novelty.

Of course, this means that I am doing lots of reading around food intolerance.  I'm having a phone consultation with a nutritionist next week.  Allergy UK have sent me some useful links. Interestingly, I've read in a few places that you often crave the very thing to which you are intolerant (there's a sentence trying too hard not to end with a preposition!).

This led me, as usual, to reflect more widely.  How often do we long for the very things that are least helpful or healthy?  Do we crave that which we cannot tolerate - be it physically, mentally or spiritually?  What addictions or bad habits are we unwilling to forgo?

It rather disputes the philosophy that 'everything is good for you, if it doesn't kill you,' and 'if it feels good, do it'.

What we desire is not always right or even good for us.  It's reflected in so many patterns of our lives, yet we are usually unwilling to admit it.



*The York Test.  There are cheaper alternatives, but it was the one recommended and used by friends. They also provided services which were not available from other test centres.  I've found them prompt, efficient and helpful so far.