Washing our hands!

Food is an essential part of our living. “Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity” said Voltaire. We have never made it until we have our own salad dressing, until then we’re stuck behind the French, Italian and Russians. All religion has dietary codes for the believers. The Jews have Kosher Laws that prohibits people from eating pigs, camels and those that chew the cud and divide the hoof (Lev 11:4). It rejects more than 35 different animals and birds – in modern language they are about 60 or more. Islamic Halaal laws prohibit all dead meat, swine. Al-Maidah 5:3 states that all food, “that on which have been invoked the name of other than Allah, that which hath been killed by strangling, violent blow, headlong fall, or being gored to death, has been eaten by a wild animal…”

Hinduism traditionally held a rigorous approach following the Dharmasastras (Hindu religious & legal codes). The rules they believe enlighten their approach to mental, physical and spiritual health. Food comes in three categories: Satvic (that which is considered ideal – Vegetarianism) thus following the teachings of Bhagavad Gita 17:8 “It creates a pure, peaceful and balanced mind.” Rajasic (stimulates and excites the passions). It produces disease, pain and grief. Beef and all carnivorous birds are forbidden. Third category is Tamasic: tasteless, stale, decaying, rotten, cooked overnight – Alcohol.

Christians follow the same tradition as the Jews and Muslims. From the time of Jerusalem Council in Act 15, we were allowed to have our own identity. Noah accepted the unclean animals in the ark along with the clean animals. The Jews were given ravens in the wilderness. Peter was asked to eat wild meat as all things are good and created good. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."1 Tim 4:5.

Jesus did not come to change the Law; rather enlighten us for what the Law was originally intended. A gift, money, car keys or anything for that matter in my culture given in left hand is not accepted and sometimes insulting. My superior in my seminary days always told me ‘a clean desk is a clean mind.’ These customs and traditions though are not central to life and practice of our religion, they help us to better our focus and attention. Texting can be a psychological illness, prevents our ability to drive or pay attention to our surrounding.

Our ‘clean’ food and instructions of purification should result in our ability to see God and love neighbor. It will be foolish to have all clean food and clean habits yet missing God amidst all that hassle. Who worries about making an apple pie that her son loves when the son is dead! Purity has a say in our faith formation only when it takes us close to God. Demand on purity as an imposition on account of selfishness, pride, arrogance will only result in chaos and confusion.

Moral evolution and scientific research must go hand in hand, writes our Pope, and that Charity must animate them in a harmonious interdisciplinary whole, marked by unity and distinction. (Caritas in Veritate, No. 31)What we see is just the opposite: we have reached the zenith of scientific research and our moral evolution has been buried deep and rotting. What goes inside is the body and blood of our Lord, thus every Christian is given the responsibility to bring out Christ in all that we do and say. When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples we know the value of that washing. When Pilate washed his hands, we know what that meant! Have you washed your hands?