Lauren Winner

Chris and I went to hear Lauren Winner speak Sunday morning at St. George's (because apparently I don't seem to spend enough time there already). She was engaging, interesting, and hilarious. She is actually currently a professor at Duke, and I wish I could take her classes! This is the link to hear her 40 minute or so lecture to the class that I attended. As I write this, it's not actually up yet, but as soon as it's edited, I'll put it up on the St. G's website. So check back if it's not available yet!

What I Don't Believe

Chris and I were on our way home from a shopping trip (the first one we've taken in about 6 months - it was fun to go and refreshing to realize that the act of buying things has lost some of its excitement) when we started up a conversation about religion. We get into deep discussions a lot, but not often are they about religion.

I have been a Christian since high school, when I really was first introduced to the faith by a great friend. Since then, while I have always known that I am Christian, I have been generally unable to name the beliefs that I have and whether they even align with any particular denomination.

What I took away from our conversation that night was that it is very easy for me to name things I do not believe in...for instance, I don't believe hell exists, and for very specific reasons. At the same time, I don't have a clear vision of what heaven is, or what heaven looks like. I know I don't believe in the infallibility of the literal transcription of the Bible. There are so many transcriptions and translations, I cannot believe that each of them (or one above all others) is literally true. Instead, I believe that through prayer and study, God can reveal the truth through any version of Scripture, and that truth may not be the same as the literal meaning the words represent.

But there are so many more things that I cannot say for certain! It is much easier to disagree with something than it is to articulate a belief, as least for me. I think I am in a place in life now where I am searching for these answers and for a little more clarity and certainty.

Homemade Pickles

Chris helped me make some homemade dill pickles yesterday with a recipe I snagged off of some website...if anyone's curious I could find it. They were extremely easy to make, with the exception of running out of the vinegar solution half way through and starting another batch. I have no idea how long these pickles will take to pickle, but I'm going to give them two weeks. So far, they look beautiful!

Intellectual Preaching

I am reading a book by Lauren Winner called Girl Meets God. When I first saw the title I thought it was yet another book about single Christians and purity. Turns out the author grew up in the orthodox Jewish faith, and as a young adult she converted to Christianity and became a member of the Episcopal Church. This quote comes from her book, while she daydreams about what it would be like to be a priest:

"I picture myself clad in a long, flowing chasuble, instructing my flock on the finer points of biblical interpretation, filling in on fuzzy historical details they might not know, inspiring them to lead a more committed Christian life."

What a great description of clergy! Sadly, I can only think of 2 ministers over my long history of church-hopping who have ever fit that description. Normally, I find that most are busy telling cute anecdotes about life that barely scrape the surface of depth and meaning in scripture.

Do you think most preaching falls this short of the mark in other places?

Food, Inc. Scratches the Surface of Food Production Issues

On Friday night I went to view the premier of Food, Inc. in Nashville at the only location daring enough to show it: The Belcourt Theater in Hillsboro Village. Not much of the film provided new insights to an industry I have already spent some time learning more about. It was structured in short chapters on:

• the fast food industry and the economic benefits of eating fast, cheap food
• illegal immigrants working in meat processing plants (yes, that's a euphemism for slaughterhouse)
• industrial meet processing
• industrial livestock raisers (esp. chicken)
• corn farmers and genetically modified seed
• public & legal policies
• government influence
• sustainable & local farming
• call for action and change

I cannot remember all of the names and titles of the sections, but this list provides a fair overview of the major talking points of the film. I think the earlier NYTimes Review was accurate in saying "Time and again the movie stops short before it really gets started." With so many sub-topics, there is no way to do justice to any of them in a 93-minute film. It simply provides a nasty taste of the major issues surrounding food production in America.

Everyone who sees this film is guaranteed to learn something shocking enough to inspire the curiosity to learn more and to spark the momentum to change the system. Food, Inc. will be most influential in introducing newbies to the realities of food production in America and the possibilities that with each item scanned in the supermarket, we can slowly increase the demand for local, organic, and healthy food in our communities.

As was discussed in the post-viewing panel discussion at the Belcourt, people choose to eat local or organic foods for a variety of reasons: animal treatment, pesticide use, local agriculture, local economy, health, taste, etc. I think this is the kind of film that is outrageous enough, yet brief enough to start more serious conversations and change.

Check out the Food, Inc. website for more info, including reading lists.

NYTimes Review of Food, Inc.

Meet Your New Farmer: Hungry Corporate Giant

Thanks, Emily, for passing on this NYTimes review of Food, Inc. The ultimate review is that the documentary opens up a world of potential questions but ultimately falls short of truly digging deep into the myriad of issues discussed. I can't wait to see it (already bought tix!) two weeks from now at the Belcourt, followed by a panel discussion with local members of the food industry. I CAN'T WAIT!

Everyone in Nashville should go!

Food Inc.

Check out this trailer for a new movie coming out about the food we eat. I cannot believe this movie actually made it into production! I'll be curious to see how readily available it is for viewing. It looks like there is commentary throughout from farmers and authors like Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore's Dilemna) and Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation).

I am so excited that there is finally room in our society to question the methods and the madness behind food. We do this with politics, immunizations, environmental concerns, faith and religion, etc. etc. We have finally seen the point where the actions of the tobacco industry are more transparent. Why not food? Why is the food industry not more transparent so that we can be aware of what goes on behind the scenes - good or bad? And why are some people so resistant to the idea that things may not be how they seem? In the name of exploration, I say Americans (including myself) need to learn more about this!

This is only the tip of the iceberg, but I'm still thankful for it.