Thoughts on Relationships

by Rebekah Sills

I visited a new church a few Sundays ago. I was skeptical about whether I would enjoy the service, being that it's one of those giant churches smack dab in the middle of the Austin suburbs. But surprisingly I not only enjoyed it, I'm still thinking about the implications of the message almost three weeks later.

Most sermons begin with a question and then attempt to answer that question in three points stretched over the course of three Sundays. This particular sermon asked the question "Where is God, and why won't He show up every once in a while?" I attended church the third Sunday when the pastor honed in on his answer.

Where is God? It's a simple enough question, and the answer is one that might surprise you.

The short answer: God shows up in people. God is in you and me—an answer I find profound, yet amazingly simple.

Relationships. A word that is almost synonymous with people. The word relationship means the state of being connected, whether it's two people or ten. So where is God? God’s right here in our relationships—in people, in our neighbors, friends, coworkers and family. And, God is in strangers, too.

Regardless of what you believe, if anything at all, the message of relationships and connectedness surpasses religion. We're born into relationships, as the product of relationships. Sometimes these relationships break, sometimes they don't last, but just as we're born into them, we're meant to remain in them.

We are not designed to live alone, to live disconnected from each other. We thrive when we have social networks for support. We fall apart when we don't.

I often think about how our world has become more connected with the advancement of technology. We now live in a "global era" and we hear talk about "globalization" and the "international community." But sometimes it seems like these technological advancements only further separate people. It creates a newfound awareness of "us" and "them," the "other," and we're not exactly rushing to overcome the cultural, ideological and socioeconomic barriers. If anything, we continue to support and pay attention to that which reinforces our own beliefs, our own status quo.

I realize it seems idealistic and perhaps a little too simplistic. I know that standing in a circle and holding hands while singing Kum ba yah won't halt the violence in Kenya or Iraq. It won't solve the clash over immigration in the United States. It won't bring redemption or justice. But the simple act of remembering that we humans, ALL humans, need each other in order to survive, to grow, to live is enough.

Look around. Look at people. There's beauty in the way your life is guided by individuals, through conversations and sometimes even through five minute interactions. We live in this world together, and what affects one affects us all.

So stop looking up and start looking around you.

When Did Yogurt Become the Enemy?

by CKM

“When did yogurt become the enemy?”

My good friend, Liz, asked me this recently when describing her mother’s refrigerator filled to the brim with what Liz calls “fake food.” Instead of eating real yogurt—the kind we grew up on—Liz found some fake substitute in its place with half the fat, half the calories, guaranteed to make you thinner in a week! Liz lamented that this is what it’s come to—that because her mother is so desperate to lose weight, she’ll sacrifice eating real food for food that’s been scientifically modified and put through the processing ringer for hours so this fake form of yogurt is produced with a half the fat guarantee.

This is also an issue Michael Pollan addresses in his new book, In Defense of Food so you might want to check that out, as well.

In bringing up Liz’s frustrations with fake food, though, I wish not to delve into the horrors of the processed food we all partake. Whether it’s the 2%, low-fat cheese or the reduced-fat Wheat Thins, we’ve all become desperate to lose weight and be healthy and to purchase food items (whether they are real or fake, that is the question) that make us feel like we’re eating healthy and taking care of our bodies. However, there’s something lost in this quest to appease our psychological need—enjoyment of eating real, whole foods. It’s also much healthier to eat real, whole foods than the fake, processed foods that claim to be lower in fat, sodium, you name it, because, at the end of the day, you don’t have to worry about the origins of your food. This is also a benefit of eating local foods straight from the farmer who grew it, but that’s a whole other article.

I recently gave up meat (pork, chicken and beef). I’m on a trial run during this season of Lent, but hope to continue the pursuit of becoming a Vegetarian or at least stick to eating only grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, etc. once Lent ends. It’s been quite the challenge for this West Texas girl, born and raised on beef and potatoes; however, it’s also prompted me to return to REAL food. I’ve been trying new recipes and new vegetables and found myself, scrambling at times, to find new sources of protein so my hypoglycemia and headaches don’t spin out of control.

So this morning, in an attempt to load up with protein, I ordered the Progress Coffee “special” recipe of granola and yogurt—real, whole milk, pure and simple yogurt. It was magical. My taste buds leapt for joy, my stomach sang with enjoyment, my palette was perfectly satisfied. And, no head ache is in sight.

Come to find out, yogurt isn’t the enemy, but rather a healthy, sustaining essential to my newly found vegetarian diet. If we all would return to eating real food and simply eat less of it, we’d be a lot better off. The health of not only our bodies, but also the earth and the environment would improve, as well. Additionally, if we all reduced our meat consumption by just 20% it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan to the ultra-efficient Prius.

In the end, I don’t pretend to have the answers to these complicated issues of food consumption and food ethics. However, I do advocate the return to eating real, whole foods—I think that’s evident here. If you need further evidence, take a look at Eurpoe—how they live, what they eat, how they eat it.

Remember, REAL yogurt isn’t the enemy. But, your processed, fake substitute just may be.

CKM is the Development Director for Sustainable Food Center (SFC) in Austin, TX.

Question of the Week 2/1/2008

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/blogs/paging.dr.gupta/

One of the most pressing issues affecting our generation is healthcare. CNN has a Health Blog that covers both the presidential candidates' views and scary stories about individuals who have lost their healthcare. One such story tells the tale of a seemingly well-off couple who gave birth to a little girl with a lot of health problems. They thought that they were covered, but the medical bills piled up to nearly a million dollar and their daughter died at 18 months. Not only did they have to handle the stress of financial burden but also the death of their baby. The moral of many of the stories on this blog is that it's not just the un-insured or the underinsured that suffer.

That being said, do you know how much you are covered by your insurance? Where would you stand if a health emergency occurred? We'd like your responses.