I will never (I hope) look at eating the same way again. This may be a bit scattered as I'm putting my thoughts into words as I form my evolving fascination with God's creation.
The more I read about plants, plant communication, plant community, and as I find God in nature to a greater extent, the more it changes me and hopefully as a believer, an individual, in my communication and in my community.
Humans exhale carbon dioxide that plants need; plants exhale oxygen that humans (and animal life needs). I'm mostly vegan - at first it was for health reasons, but it is changing to conscientious reasons. But humans need fuel - and that fuel, for me, is plant life with occasional dairy and rare animal protein.
I'm thinking plants are sentient, and I'm mostly convinced they are since they live in community and help each other and communicate. I realize plants give up their lives for the animal kingdom... so we can eat them and thrive. Are they aware of their sacrifice? I don't know, but it seems their community would recognize their absence since plants communicate through their root system.
I see the spark of God in them since they are part of his creation and they are alive - and life is from Him. How can I eat a slice of toast or bowl of blueberries or eat smashed frozen bananas (vegan ice cream) without recognizing those plants gave up their life for ME. How can I not see my Redeemer's love in them since He did the same. In Jesus' teachings, he often took common, every-day scenes and turned them into life-altering parables. Seeds scattered on different soils, the mustard seed, fields white and ready for harvest, the parable of the enemy who sowed weeds in a farmer's field. How close to nature my Lord lived.
His last supper included him taking common wine and common unleavened bread and saying, "This is my body given for you." and "This is my blood shed for you." I have been able to perceive Jesus in the Sunday communion table; but now I see him in the species of bread and wine - because they come from God's creation. I am starting to see Him in all the food at my family table, too.
As I express my gratitude and thanksgiving for the green beans on my plate, as I express my gratitude and thanksgiving for His holy Eucharist; and as I express my gratitude and thanksgiving for his sacrifice; I see the inter-connectedness of all things. I see more and more of all things in Him and me in Him as a part of all things. How can help but feel grateful and offer thanks. How can I feel anything but humbled by both the Lord who offered his life for me, and the potato who died for me.
