BERNARD EVANS
Sacred Creation – Sacred Food

A Catholic perspective on sacred foods can have a number of possible starting points. Few capture this "sacred" dimension as clearly and persuasively as does the recognition that food is the product of God’s creation which itself is sacred. ("Sacred" in this article carries the common dictionary meaning of deserving religious respect because of a connection to the divine.) The Catholic moral tradition also argues that what we claim to believe should be evident in the choices and actions of everyday living. The following is a Catholic approach to speaking about the sacredness of food as well as ethical implications that follow from this belief.

CREATION IS SACRED
The Hebrew biblical sources tell us that all of creation belongs to God. Psalm 24 makes this point: "The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it." The first creation story in the book of Genesis further instructs us that God saw all of creation to be good. Catholic sacramental and liturgical theology develop the notion of a sacramental view of nature. That is, if creation is good, if it belongs to God, if it is sacred – then creation is where we can encounter the presence of God in daily living. This sacredness of creation is a starting point for discussing sacred food. From a Catholic perspective five principles flow from a recognition that all of creation is sacred.

First is the dignity of every human person. This principle is based upon the belief that every person is both part of creation yet made in God’s image, redeemed by Christ, and called to communion with God. Each of us is called to live a full human life, to develop moral maturity, and to take responsibility for our own lives, for our dependents and for the common good. To succeed in this we must have whatever is needed to live our lives in dignity and to live out our moral responsibilities. Each of us must be able to meet our basic necessities, including food. The right to food is a second principle deriving from the sacredness of creation.

In Catholic moral theology we speak about rights and responsibilities. Human rights surround and protect the dignity of every human being. Among these is the right to food. This means that every person has the right to food that is safe, nutritious and accessible. Food is accessible when it is affordable or available in some other way. The right to food is one of the reasons for concern about food distribution, about poverty and hunger. Catholic social teachings speak of the preferential option for the poor – that we are to support those changes in laws, public policies and programs that are of particular benefit to those most in need. With more than 800 million people on this planet undernourished, it is difficult to think of a greater unmet need than safe, nutritious food. But our efforts to produce and distribute food within the human community must be done in ways that are environmentally safe – a third principle related to the sacredness of creation.

The Scriptures tell us that humans bear a particular responsibility to care for the rest of God’s creation. As we struggle to produce and distribute food to everyone, especially the poor and marginalized, we must do so in a manner that does not destroy the land, water, and other living creatures God saw fit to place upon this earth. Environmentally safe food production is a way of showing respect for all of God’s creation including our daughters, sons and grandchildren who will need these same fields, rivers and aquifers for their own sustenance. Producing food that is safe, nutritious and accessible – and doing this in a way that does not harm the environment – is often best done in a manner and on a scale that supports local sustainability – our fourth principle emerging from the sacredness of creation.

Catholic teaching and practices throughout the twentieth century have shown a preference for small and moderate-sized family farms. Among the reasons for this position is the conviction – supported by considerable social science research – that smaller, locally owned food producers are more likely to support their local communities. The many forms of sustainable food production – moderate-sized commercial farms, community supported agriculture, or farmers’ markets – also contribute to healthy, sustainable rural communities. Furthermore, food production that supports local sustainability is likely to demonstrate a respect for justice – our fifth principle related to the sacredness of creation.

If our food comes from creation and creation belongs to God, then we need to be careful about claiming ownership of that part of creation needed to produce food, such as land and water. Though we hold legal title to such resources, we would do well to remember the teaching of early Christian writers: that the goods of creation are intended to meet the needs of everyone. This teaching suggests that food in any form is not a commodity but a gift from God, a gift that we are privileged to have a role in producing by working with the rest of God’s creation. But our work with the Creator to produce and prepare food must be done with absolute respect for justice towards everyone involved – farmers and producers, farm-workers, employees in processing plants, marketing and grocery stores. Catholic social teaching has consistently held that all workers – whether citizens or not, legal or not – have the right to basic necessities such as livable wages, decent housing, health care, education and food.

ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS
Of course, none of our beliefs – about food or any other topic – will matter too much if these beliefs don’t shape who we are and how we live. Our belief in the sacredness of creation and the principles that rise out of this belief – the dignity of every person, the right to food, environmentally safe farming practices, local sustainability, and respect for justice – all of these beliefs have ethical implications. The National Catholic Rural Life Conference for some years has carried out an educational effort called Eating is a Moral Act. What we believe about food should influence our most practical, local decisions and actions related to food. I offer three brief illustrations.

1. What we choose to eat has moral implications regarding our own health. On the most basic level our knowledge of which foods are healthy and nutritious should guide us in making choices. As part of God’s creation we are directed to take care of our bodies and support them with the best food choices available to us.

2. Where we purchase food has moral implications. Our decision to shop according to convenience or lowest prices may not always support values or principles we hold regarding food. How, for example, do our shopping choices support independent farmers and growers who themselves are contributing members of our communities? Might we be in a position – in our food purchasing – to support sustainable or organic production because it is healthy and to help make it more affordable and therefore more accessible? If we purchase food for institutions, is it possible for us to buy from distributors with connections to farmers and processors who care for the land and treat their workers justly?

3. Which public policies we support has moral implications. Are we involved in helping our nation determine who should own and control food producing land? Or the kind of agriculture our tax dollars are allowed to subsidize? Do we support programs for ensuring a healthy diet among people unable to buy food that is safe and nutritious? Do we pay attention to federal or state regulations about food safety, or about certification standards for what counts as organic?

The ethical decisions we make about food are always made in the concrete, practical realities of our lives. That’s difficult, that’s complex and that’s what leads different people to go in different directions. Though we may not always agree on every issue related to food, we should agree that our beliefs about food ought to shape our practical, moral choices. Those choices regarding the world of food must reflect our belief that that world is touched by the sacred.

Bernard Evans is on the faculty at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict where he occupies the Virgil Michel Ecumenical Chair in Rural Social Ministries.


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This article was published in the Winter 2006 issue of Catholic Rural Life©. No portion of this article may be reproduced without written permission from The National Catholic Rural Life Conference. To purchase the Spring 2006 issue of Catholic Rural Life, please contact The National Catholic Rural Life Conference office at 4625 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50310-2199, call (515) 270-2634, or e-mail ncrlc@mchsi.com. The cost is $2.50 an issue plus postage and handling.