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1160 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC, V6E 3H7
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 NASB
Do you have any foodies in your life? People you like to go to for food advice? Maybe you consider yourself a foodie?
I used to think I was a bit of a foodie when I travelled a lot for business and would have great dining experiences but as with many things, I discovered there are people out there whose passion and appreciation for food is far more developed than mine. These are real foodies. And it seems we have a lot more of them in this generation.
The last few decades have seen an explosion of sophistication in the food experience. From the way it’s portioned, prepared, presented and plated, to the way people’s palettes and food tastes have expanded to enjoy more flavours, textures and cuisines, food has gone to a whole new level in the last half century.
Vancouverites now have a Michelin Guide with 60 recommended restaurants and 8 of them just received a coveted Michelin Star in October 2022.[1]
If you’re part of Coastal Church downtown, you only need to walk a 10 or 15-minute radius around 1160 W Georgia and you could experience some of the most amazing food from anywhere in the world. We have Coastal family members who own successful restaurants, run cooking schools and have even written award-winning cookbooks.
It doesn’t stop there. The internet is now crammed with food media. We have cooking shows, cooking channels and tons of food & wine documentaries and podcasts. And of course – celebrity chefs.
So where did this foodie craze come from?
The term foodie was first introduced in the early 1980s when Paul Levy, a journalist and food-wine editor wrote an article defining foodies as “the new sect which elevates all food to a sacrament”. He later co-authored The Official Foodie Handbook in 1984 with the subtitle: Be Modern – Worship Food.[2] The authors recognized that something was shifting and changing with food in our culture.
As believers, we know the fallen nature of humanity that we received from Adam has the capacity (and even wants) to worship anything that God created. Any of us can fall into the trap of worshipping the creation instead of the Creator.[3] And while some of the foodie craze could involve the worship of food, I like some of the things foodies have brought to the table.
The foodies I know recognize food as something God created for us to enjoy. That the amazing variety of foods and spices and flavour profiles reflect an amazing God of endless beauty and creativity. Foodies of course love hospitality and recognize the power of breaking bread together and would consider some of the most memorable moments of their lives to be around a dinner table.
Jesus and Food
It appears Jesus also loved food. He and his disciples even faced criticism because they enjoyed food and hospitality so much.[4] Jesus even catered a miraculous meal on two occasions to feed the 4,000 and 5,000.[5]
What makes Jesus different is that He had a greater love for spiritual food. One time His disciples recognized He was hungry and urged Him to eat something, and He replied, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” He told the Samaritan woman at the well He could provide her with living water and she would never thirst again. He even called Himself the Bread of Life and promised that whoever came to Him would never go hungry or thirsty.[6]
Jesus was a spiritual foodie. In the Beatitudes, He introduced us to a whole new world of flavours and awakened our spiritual tastebuds to having an appetite for something different:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”[7]
Becoming a Spiritual Foodie
So, what would a spiritual foodie look like? What would be the signs you’re on your way to having a well-developed palette and appetite for the things of God?
In many ways, you would be just the same as a regular foodie, only the hunger is spiritual. Just for fun, let’s highlight a natural foodie and a spiritual foodie. Here are 10 signs you may be a foodie or a spiritual foodie:
Is it possible that this explosion of passion for food in our generation is just evidence of a deeper spiritual hunger that’s gone unfulfilled? Might this rampant hunger be a sign that we’re on the verge of a great spiritual food awakening as people discover true fulfillment in Christ?
Just as foodies love to share their passion for all things food, maybe it’s time we allow our hunger and passion for Jesus to be evident in everything we do so that others can experience Him for themselves and taste and see that the LORD is good.[8]
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© 2023 Coastal Church. All rights reserved | Privacy & Security
1160 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC, V6E 3H7