How Blessed the Day

Recently, a few people have asked me why I'm a vegetarian [though my family and I are currently pescetarians]. I have a few go-to easy answers, all of them real reasons, but not the one deep-down inside of me feeling that made me finally fully convert to a life of no meat. It's a simple answer, one word really: Peace.

I grew up singing a hymn, one that is rooted in the restoration churches of the 19th century. The fourth and final verse begins: "How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion shall lie down together without any ire." This line is based on the scriptures in Isaiah 11. "The wolf shall also dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hold of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

Call me a literalist, but I have always loved this imagery, and have always taken it to heart. I want to do my part to bring it to pass. In addition to kindness, community involvement, love for my fellow human beings, who I believe are literally my brothers and sisters, I feel like what I consume also adds to the equation. It's not just about what I put out into the world, it's also what I take from it. For my personal being, the very innards of my soul, me being at peace with all things in the world around me [a part of that being animals and the cultivation of plants] makes every part of me feel better.

Do I think Cows taste good? Have you ever had prime rib from Cattlemen's? Yes. Do I want to eat cows anymore [or pigs or chickens (I've never really cared to eat just a piece of chicken anyway) or any other animal]? No. Eventually, sooner rather than later, I'd like to cut fish and animal products from my diet as well. I'm still learning.

While I have plenty of reasons that finally made me take the plunge whole-heartedly, like toxins found in "safe" food, living/dying conditions for animals, corporate takeover of agriculture and animals, genetic modification, etc., they are not the driving force behind my interest in what I consume. I want to do my best by the earth, and in doing so, the earth will do its best by me. We can be peaceful partners in health.



Disclaimer: Just in case you were wondering, I don't think less of people who eat meat, though I do think everyone should know what is in their food and where it comes from. Also, there are many a plant source that contains more protein than a good ol' steak if the next thing you were wondering was if we were getting enough of that too.

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