food culture.

food is amazing.

it sustains life--while watching a random movie late the other night on tv, i stumbled upon one about a missing person. now, i dont know how accurate these facts are--but the film claimed that a person can survive 8 days without food and water. after 6 days, the body starts to shut down, and the 8th day is D-day. a rescue team no longer has clearance to search for a missing person after the 7th day--the case is considered a lost cause. one week.

it enriches culture--so much of a nation's culture is centered around its food. nearly every travel book has an entire section dedicated to food. personally, what i remember most about my travels is always food. the distinct flavor of a country is defined by the food you find there. no matter how similar countries may be, you will always find something that distinguishes it from the rest.

it brings people together--the most common activity when people gather is eating. we meet friends for dinner. we go home for the holidays for a homecooked feast. we have business lunches. food literally brings people to a table to share not only a meal, but to enjoy each other's company. we dont just eat because there's nothing else to do--we eat together because there's nothing else we'd rather do.

it rips people apart--food is powerful...more so in its absence than in its presence. i just reread Night by Elie Wiesel. in this daunting memoir of his holocaust experience, he accounts of a time when he was on a cattle train, 100 men to a car, all of whom were starved for nearly a week. they would pass by german workmen who would just watch them go by with disinterest. one day, a workman broke off a piece of bread and threw it into the car. men became animals as they literally killed each other for a piece of bread. he recalls watching an old man get attacked by his own son for holding a piece of that bread...a crumb really.

it degenerates nations--20% of the world lives off less than $1 a day. 1 in 7 go to bed hungry night after night. all around the world people are dying from starvation. they dont live day to day hungry. with each passing day, they take a step toward death. hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions--children, families, old, young, smart, pretty, mean, kind, funny... people. people are dying because they dont have a dollar a day to live. people are dying off less than $1 a day. in korea, i can buy kimbap for a dollar. i usually eat two. for one meal.

it empowers the powerful, weakens the weak--in north korea, during the mid 90's alone, 2 million of 22 million n. koreans starved to death at the hands of kim jong il. the death toll only rises. in n. korea, it is easier to get cigarettes and alcohol than it is to get food and socks. in south korea, i can buy two kimbaps, walk across the street, buy a brand new pair of socks, and still have money leftover from a $5 bill to eat ice cream.

when i was young, if i didnt finish the food on my plate, my mom would scold me for my lack of gratitude. think of the starving kids in somalia she'd say. my response as i tossed the plate aside--then give the food to them. sigh---if only it were that easy...

in the past, i've been rather notorious for being really bad about meal prayers. it was always--pray short and get to the food.

i should be thanking God with every bite of every meal.

eat, drink, and be grateful...food is an amazing privilege--enjoy.