Let me start off by saying that I am coming from a Pagan perspective. If that is not yours, that is fine; feel free to read this or not.
At any rate, I believe that Spirit/the Divine runs through all things. Nature is God/dess, all animals and plants are God/dess, and we are God/dess. We are all important in the ecosystem as we all have our roles that we play. As such, I've been thinking that we really need to start saying grace at the table, to give honor for the life and death of the animals and plants that give us nourishment, so that we may continue our lives. We also must give thanks to Mother Earth and Father Sky because without the Mother and Father, our ecosystem wouldn't exist at all; their Divinity permeates everything. We ingest the Divine with every bite. What a gift! We must give our thanks for the sacrifice.
Also, as my husband rightly pointed out, it's not just the animals and plants, but those farmers who work day and night, the butchers who must kill and carve the meat, those who grind the grains; the list goes on. And he also said, he should give thanks to me, or to whoever prepares the meal that goes on the table. I spend a lot of time prepping meals, so this was a nice extra, but really it goes for anyone who cooks.
In my quest for eating ethically and sustainably, I'm appreciating more what FOOD really is. Sacred, fecund and absolutely necessary for survival. FOOD is community as it connects us to everything. So beyond making sure our meat and vegetables are ethically and organically raised, let us continue with the simple act of saying grace.
We thank you for the gift of this food.
We send blessings of peace, love,and release to all whose bodies' energies brought us this nourishment.
We honor you in our enjoyment and utilization of this meal.
May it bring us health and joy, reminding us of our interconnections with all that is.
As we receive, so do we give thanks for this gift.
Taken from the October 7, 2008 post on InkBlot::sharpening my pen
http://www.rebelleink.com/blog/?page_id=42
Although I don't follow the Pagan faith, this is a very nice message. With a high school kid still in the house, we usually eat our meals in a rush to get here or there. We generally don't say grace, although we should, and we might just start. But Tom always thanks me for the meal, just because he wants to. Imagine that; a fifteen year old thanking Mom for making his meals. He's an awesome kid!
ReplyDeleteYeah, he sure is. He's got great parents, too, so the odds were with him.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post!
ReplyDelete