Junk Food Church

We’re asking a lot of questions these days. What is church? What does true worship entail? What part do we play in the body of Christ?

I’ve been reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. One of his themes is that the American market is glutted with cheap corn and soy. Because the human need for food remains fairly constant (i.e., we can only eat so much before we max out the system), those who process our food have turned to “value added” products as a way to use and market the excess. So we’ve moved from oatmeal, to Cheerios made with oat flour, to ten different varieties of Cheerios flavored and colored with an array of artificial flavors and colors, sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, and enclosed in eye-catching packaging. We have sugars that pass through the system without metabolizing into calories, fats that pass through the system without making us fat, and carbs that pass through the system without turning into sugar. Americans are no longer content with eating “food,” but have made the shift to eating “food products.” As a result, Americans are eating more than ever before, while becoming both obese and undernourished. (Michael Pollan makes his argument much more compellingly. I highly recommend the book.)

So I’m wondering, have we in the church opted for the Diet Coke and potato chips handed out by those who are supposed to be feeding us, and turned away from the bread and wine that Jesus offers? Are we too much attracted to the carb-less carbs, the fat-less fats and the sugarless sweeteners, all marketed in a slick, attention-grabbing package, never realizing that we’re getting fatter and fatter at the same time we’re becoming undernourished and unhealthy?

If Jesus was clear on one point, it was that following him is neither glamorous nor easy. It’s the only thing that nourishes our souls and brings life, though. I have a new understanding of what Jesus meant when he said, “I am the bread of life.” ‘Cause right now I’m feeling a little bloated on pop-culture Christianity.