Friday August 14, 2020
Anna Kay Vorsteg
Nourish
We have all been raised on the saying, “You are what you eat.”
Several years ago, while on a spiritual retreat, I was introduced to the notion that we are not only what we eat, but what we watch, read, listen to. We are what we consume through any means and our emotional and spiritual health are influenced by such. While perhaps obvious, this was for me a “ding” moment, a moment of truth that has stuck with me ever since.
I have thought of this often since the start of the pandemic. Early on I found myself captivated by the headlines, bingeing on the upsetting news of our time. And as if Covid-19 were not enough, we have the environmental crisis, racial injustice, and an economic downturn—a cornucopia of concerns to nosh on. Staying abreast of the news seemed the responsible thing to do, however I realized quickly, I was over-eating depressing news and my spiritual health was on the decline - my intake was way out of balance. I was starving my spiritual self by feeding on too much negative junk.
Many of you have helped to provide my cure. I have added to my diet the Daily Reflections of the St. John’s community and am feeling healthier. I still read the news, but in smaller, smarter portions. I have also started to listen to podcasts and other sources that provide evidence of the good that is possible when we, mere mortals, use our God-given gifts to address the problems of our times. There are powerful parables unfolding around us. People taking good action for others in the face of what seem impossible odds. Nothing feeds my spirit, my faith, more than stories such as these. There is much good news to be shared and consumed – eat up, it is soul food.
And don’t forget to leave room for your “just desserts” - the voice of the Divine, found in pause, prayer and reflection. Sometimes for the health of our spirit we need to unplug entirely from the media to plug in more deeply to the spirit, to be more deeply led and fed.
I invite you to assess the nutritional value of that which you consume. What are you feeding your soul? What nourishment do you find there?