Day 82: 3/23/13- Seven Heavenly Virtues Week- Chastity

Day 82: 3/23/13- Seven Heavenly Virtues Week- Chastity                       
New Thing- Raw and Vegan Workshop and Cooking Class     
Inspiration: The Seven Heavenly Virtues, Mainline School Night, Fasting             
Time: Three Hours                 
Bottom Line: You are what you eat. 

The one we made in class tasted even better that this picture looks.

Reflection: Today wraps up the week-long look at the Seven Heavenly Virtues. The topic for today's contemplation is chastity, the opposite of lust. Here is the wiki definition: 

Abstaining from sexual conduct according to one's state in life. Cleanliness through cultivated good health and hygiene, and maintained by refraining from intoxicants. To be honest with oneself, one's family, one's friends, and to all of humanity. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought-through education and betterment. The ability to refrain from being distracted and influenced by hostility, temptation or corruption.

I was particularly intrigued by the "cleanliness through cultivated good health and hygiene, and maintained by refraining from intoxicants... Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought-through education and betterment" part of the definition. So, taking an opportunity for "education and betterment," I attended a raw and vegan workshop and cooking class today. Our teacher, Joel, has worked with Dr. Oz and has been raw and vegan for 10 years. I have to say that it was really inspirational to hear him talk about the science and practicality of cutting out processed food. But the best part was when he shared how being faithful to this practice has lead him to "embracing wholesomeness" in his own life. Not only that, the food that he made was SO delicious and since it was all raw and vegan, I could eat everything and not break my fast.

The God moment for me (aside from the fact that the whole morning was dedicated to livening simply and holistically in a very spiritual fashion) came when he was describing a study that took a room full of children and laid two tables in front of them while they played for two hours. One table was filled with junk food and the other was all natural and raw foods. At the beginning, it was what you might expect--kids eating a lot of junk. But by the end, they were all eating the healthy food. Why? Because we are created to crave, not those things that are unhealthy to our bodies and souls, but the good things that God has provided us. I think that spirit is at the heart of the virtue of chastity. We are created, not to lust after those things which are outside of what God has given us, but to love that which is holy and righteous and true. When we let our desires become wrongly ordered, it is then that we have problems--health-wise or spiritual.

I have to admit, it has me wondering if the way I eat needs to adopt a more chase style as a form of constant daily prayer and pure, wholesome livening.

And did I mention it was delicious?