Maybe Vegetarians Know Something We Meat-Eaters Don't

Fifteen years ago I almost died. Not literally, but I felt like death, and I may have been okay with that outcome. What happened?

I stopped eating meat.

Photo by Monica Infiesto

This was one of those Lenten convictions I had back in my more pious days. And what better to give up for Jesus than the one thing I love the most? What’s next? Coffee and football?

I know I’m making light of it, but I assure you the decision was born out of a desire to please God and get nearer to Him, and I think I accomplished that goal.

But when I do something, I like to do it right. So I gave up eggs and fish too. But not dairy. Then I literally would have died. Suffice to say I ate a lot of Mac and Cheese and minestrone those forty days. (If only I had known about hummus back then.)

I felt drained and fatigued much of the time during those forty days. These sensations were perfect for accomplishing my Lenten goals of relying on God more, but as a way of life? I shudder at the thought.

On the other side now, I wonder how vegetarians and vegans do what they do and survive. Thrive even. One of my favorite athletes, hall of fame tight end Tony Gonzalez, turned pseudo vegan while still playing professional football, consuming only 20% of his protein from animals—primarily fish.[1]

And yet, as untenable as it sounds to me, maybe vegetarians are on to something. Maybe deep down they know something we carnivores don’t understand.

What Everybody Ought to Know About the End of the World

Did you know that there is enough water in the atmosphere to cover the entire globe?

The United States Geological Survey estimates that there is 3100 cubic miles of water in the air, enough to bury the earth at a depth of about an inch (source). This shouldn't come as a surprise to readers of the flood narrative in the book of Genesis.

Edward Lim (Creative Commons)

To be sure, one inch is a far cry from the twenty-two foot depth described in Genesis 7:20, but thinking about the flood in these terms leads me back to the creation story. Furthermore it offers some interesting insights to the future of creation.

Remember what happened the second day?