“Modern American culture is fairly empty of any suggestions that one’s relationship with the land, to consumption and food, is a religious matter. But it’s true; the decision to attend to the health of one’s habitat and food chain is a spiritual choice. It’s also a political choice, a scientific one, a personal and a convivial one. It’s not a choice between living in the country or town. It is about understanding that every one of us, at the level of our cells and respiration lives in the country and is thus obliged to be mindful of the distance between ourselves and our sustenance.” Barbara Kingsolver
It’s easy to get detached from the land, to be oblivious to the intimate connection we have with our environment, especially if we live in areas devoid of trees, plants, animals, and green zones. It’s far too easy to operate as if our food, clothing, and life necessities come from factories and stores, overlooking the fact that everything we have and use has its source in the land; that our very existence is totally dependent on our environment. One of the underlying principles of the 12-step program is self-care; learning how to nurture ourselves, adopting healthy practices such as eating better and exercising, along with developing conscious contacts with the God of our understanding. What better way to care for ourselves and our loved ones than to care for our precious planet, the source of all goodness and opportunity? What makes us think we can flourish when our water, land, and air are poisoned and polluted?
Having had the good fortune to grow up in a country village and then move into an old stone farmhouse surrounded by apple orchards and wooded areas, I’ve always felt a deep connection to the land. My dad took us birding and wild flowering when I was a kid. One of my earliest chores was helping in the garden. What excitement when tiny seedlings pushed their noses up through the ground. And, oh, the joy of going out to the garden and picking enough beans or corn or tomatoes for our evening meal! I spent long hot summer hours canning and freezing our garden’s abundance, knowing there would be food for the winter. In time, I resolved my discomfort with eating meat by adopting the Native American approach to killing an animal for food; humbly thanking the animal for giving up its life that we may live. How sad when we simply take our daily bread for granted. One of the things I appreciate about Barbara Kingsolver’s books is that she doesn’t approach religious experiences as being rooted in a church, doctrines, or liturgy, but in our connection to the land, air, water, food, and each other as the ground of our being.
So how can we be environmentally friendly when preparing and eating our meals? Here are several suggestions. Serve simple meals. Buy locally-produced food. Observe the seasons of the year. Be creative with leftovers. As my mother used to say, “waste not, want not.”
