Posts Tagged: preoccupation with food

“Everything Makes Me Think of _________”

On December 6, 2023 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

: 12 1-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (Hebrews 12:1-3, The Message)

Idries Shah, in his book The Way of the Sufi, records a story entitled, “That Makes Me Think of . . . .”

Suhrawardi said:

            I went to see a man, and we sat talking.

            There was a camel plodding past, and I said to him:

            ‘What does that make you think of?’

            He said:

            ‘Food.’

            ‘But you are not an Arab, since when was camel meat for food?’

            ‘No, it is not like that,’ said the man. ‘You see, everything makes me think of food.’­­”

This story made me think about Jesus Christ. Or rather, the story made me think about thinking about Jesus Christ. Indeed, it made me think about how much I don’t think of thinking about Jesus Christ.

What do I think about most of the time. Well, food is indeed way up there. When I was about sixteen, I lived with my brother and his wife for a couple of months during the summer, working as a plumber’s flunky. (I wasn’t good enough to be dignified with the title “plumber’s helper”.) One Saturday morning, we were getting ready to go to a state park in Ohio. While I was buttering my sixth piece of toast after eating half-a-dozen eggs, I asked, “How long will it take us to get there?”

My brother responded, “Oh, about four hours.”

“Good grief!” I exclaimed. “It’ll be time to eat by the time we get there!”

The room erupted into laughter, but I thought it was a valid comment on my part. I thought a lot about food back in those days. Even as an old guy, I think way too much about food. Come to think of it (and I am thinking about it), it is 11:39. It is almost time for lunch!

I call myself a Christ-follower, and yet, how often do I think about Jesus? If I see a camel go by (or a squirrel), do I think of Jesus Christ? Alas, I am not that spiritual. I need to start paying more attention to what—and who—I’m paying attention to. I need to fill in the blank in the title of this post with the name of Jesus.

You?

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