Soul Food

At the mere mention of soul food, some of us begin an insatiable drool with visions of collards, fried chicken, smothered pork chops, macaroni and cheese, spoon bread, fried corn and the list goes on.  I have not even mentioned the desserts yet.  Many of you may remember the movie Soul Fool, which starred Irma Hall, Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica Fox, Mekhi Phifer and Michael Beach.  In this movie, Mama Joe held her family together for forty years with Sunday Soul Food dinner.  Skipping through the drama and sibling rivalry, Mama Joe is hospitalized from Diabetes complications, ending the weekly soul food observance, and the family is torn apart, but reunited in the end with a soul food repast.

 When was the last time that you had a meaningful meal with your family?  When was the last time that you fellowshipped at meal time with a friend, in which you were not constantly looking at your electronic noise maker ie Smart phone, iPhone, blackberry, iPad, Droid or whatever?  Back in the Bible times, meal time was important.  One could even consider it sacred.  The Greek word "koinonia" means communication by intimate participation or breaking bread in a manner similar to Christ during the Passover meal, or as Christians refer to, The Last Supper.  I'm sure that Jesus did not have all the comforts and worldly luxouries that we have today.  He may have had a heavy travel itinerary throughout Judea and the Kidron Valley, but he always made time for dinner with his family, friends and even 5,000 strangers.

In the May 2011 issue of Guideposts, there is a story about Father Leo Patalinghug, of Emmitsburg, MD.  In this article, he spoke of the spirituality of cooking and food preparation and how meals bring families together.  He's done cooking classes in conjunction with youth confirmation, as well as other classes in which the stove becomes his pulpit.  The 21st century is a fast paced rat race, I'll give you that.  But the challenge for today is over the course of the week, try to have a family meal without electronic interruption or distraction.  Enjoy the company, conversation and food in which you are sharing your most precious time.  Remember that family is not always biological.  You may find that after you've had your "koinonia" experience that you'll feel a greater sense of satiation that the food alone could not provide.  "To eat and drink and find satisfaction in all your toil -- this is the gift of God."  Ecclesiastes 3:13

Peace,
Karsten