Acts 10: 10-15
…...Peter went up on the roof to pray.
He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was
being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened
and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.
Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have
never eaten anything impure or unclean.’
The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do
not call anything impure that God has made clean.’
The daughter of one of our tenants is
vegan and when she visits there is usually a lecture about how we should be
eating plant-based foods because we have no right killing animals for food,
they have as much right to life as we have.
Well, I’m
sorry but I like meat and I have had to drastically reduce my intake of red
meat because of gout, and I am not moving onto a plant-based diet for anyone. I
have tried it. It was disgusting so I will avoid it in future. My sister, Jean,
has been on my case for years but just because she
does not eat anything that ‘had a face’ she thinks I should be the same. Just
No!!!
When God was giving instructions to the
Israelites on the trek through the wilderness, certain animals were considered
unclean, and the people were told not to eat them. I often thought of this when
I wanted to have pork for dinner (it did not stop me). This lasted until I read
this passage properly and it seems to me that God was saying that it was now
okay to eat every kind of food. Then when I was reading my bible the other
night, I came to a passage which seemed to confirm
my opinion.
It was in Mark 7 vv 2, 15 when the
Pharisees and teachers were complaining about the disciples eating without
washing their hands and Jesus replied, ‘Nothing outside a person can defile them
by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles
them.’
This does seem to be true, I have heard how the daughter speaks to her mum
when she thinks they are alone.
Now I do not advocate eating without hand
washing but what we eat and how we eat it does not make us bad people. What is
bad is any criminal action or being unkind or nasty to other people, especially
parents, whom we are supposed to honour.
Prayer
Loving Father, we thank You for the gift
of food which You have provided since You created Adam and Eve. We are aware
that some people rely on foodbanks to be able to feed their families, help us
to do what we can to assist these projects. Lord God there is so much need in
the world now in the aftermath of the covid 19 pandemic and ongoing wars around
the world. So much need for Your help currently when more
and more people are turning away from You, not realising
that You are the only answer. Amen.
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