The first mouthful gave it away immediately. I had forgotten to put garlic into my ‘four bean chilli’. Unfortunately, there was no hiding from it: dinner that night was rather bland. As I mourned my missing ingredient, I began to ponder on the importance of garlic to my life. My wife and I have a vegetarian meal at least twice a week and garlic has become the ‘wonder’ ingredient: it turns a collection of vegetables or pulses into a proper meal.
Food has become very political over the last decade, with meat being discouraged from the world’s diet for various reasons. For some, a reduction in the consumption of processed meat is the route towards preventing various cancers. For others, it is all about reducing carbon emissions. My motivation wasn’t about saving the planet; it was a focus on my own health. To be honest, I don’t feel that I have made a radical change to my lifestyle, as I’m still eating fish and chicken for the rest of the week. And yes, red meat does normally make an appearance once a week.
Recently, I was horrified to discover that a major reason for the clearances of the Amazon rainforest is for cattle farming.[1] The world just can’t get enough beef and it has become unsustainable. Personally, I make sure my weekly treat of beef is grown in the UK. This choice had nothing to do with the crisis in the Amazon; it was an attempt to support British farmers. However, I am glad to learn that I am not contributing towards the environmental disaster in South America.
However, the politics of food is complicated. Another major contributor to the Amazon clearances is the expanding need for soya.[2] Given that soya is used as a substitute for meat, I find this both ironic – and disturbing. I realise that any choices that I make about diet need to be carefully considered. I hope that my personal choice is helping, rather than destroying, the planet. Am I doing enough? I don’t know. As a result, I continue to look for more small choices in lifestyle that could bring benefits to our planet.
I believe that this world – the whole universe – matters. Not just so that we leave it in a ‘good enough’ state for the next generation. Planet Earth is in itself intrinsically valuable. My faith tradition highlights that there is a ‘hidden hand’ behind the universe, that there is a reason as to why our world – and all of us on it – exist. Language struggles to explain this ‘hidden hand’; as a shorthand we use the word God. Somewhere in the past, it was documented that this mysterious benefactor called the world ‘very good’.[3] Earth is not worth saving just because humans need somewhere to live. Our planet has beauty, worth and meaning beyond all of that.
‘Going vegetarian’ twice a week was, in reality, all about me rather than about saving the Amazon rainforest. However, knowing that this change could be helping to make a difference has stirred me to stay with these dietary choices. Together, I believe that all of our small decisions can add up to make a significant impact. Therefore, garlic will remain on my shopping list, as it is the ingredient that turns my ‘four bean chilli’ into a tasty dinner. And it keeps me eating less meat as a result.
Ian Woodley info@because.uk.com
“Many people in their teens wonder about these big questions – what’s the meaning of life, what are we doing here – then somewhere in their 20s, they seem to say, ‘I’ll just get married. I’ll just have kids. I’ll get back to that later’. But they never do. For me, it kept boiling”. 
Where would we be without our health workers, carers and all those who assist in the current crisis? Let’s continue to thank them and to rally around them.
It was raining heavily – and I went outside, and stood in the garden in the rain; no coat, no umbrella – I just stood still, feeling the downpour. So why did I stand there? Firstly – because I could. I am old enough not to have a parent to tell me to come inside or to put my coat and wellies on. Also, I’m not yet old enough to be told by carers that I need to come in. Standing in the rain is a very cleansing feeling. It’s not a problem if you know you can soon change into dry clothing.
What are your thoughts about going to church? Maybe you went as a child but got bored or disillusioned with this faith stuff. Maybe you believe in a higher-being but wouldn’t darken the door of a church. Whatever your relationship with the spiritual, maybe like me, this pandemic has made you think about the deeper, more existential things of life.