balance

From A(vocadoes) to Z(en), each person has his or her own interpretation of nourishment. For some, like my dad, spiritual nourishment has a lot of weight in daily life. As a spiritual leader, he doesn't have the leisure to differentiate between what he does and what he preaches; between what he eats and what he serves up in communion to his congregation. I respect him for taking on that task. It's so easy for us, as laymen, to compartmentalize our needs and our actions: but for full nourishment, all parts of the whole must complement each other--must be balanced by each other.

We need a more holistic approach; an over-arching theme that places equal emphasis on what we eat, on how we interact, and on how we connect to a higher being. In academia, they like to call this interdisciplinary. Essentially meaning: everything connects.

Windy field by Colin Alger

Laurence, Father & Spiritual Leader

Beloved: Grace and Peace be unto you. As we look at the topic of nourishment, we need to understand that, as human beings, we are "triune," which literally means "three in one," and that we are comprised of body, soul and spirit. The body is our physical presence. The soul is that part of our being which has to do with emotions and feelings; through the soul we are able to know about ourselves as well as others. The spirit is the part of us which enables us to worship, to pray and to have communion with God.

In order for us to be fulfilled, all three areas must be well nourished--understanding that balance is essential. In the Gospel of John 4:34, we read the words of Jesus: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, Who sent me, and from finishing His work."

In the scriptures that precede this one, we have the story of a woman to whom Jesus reached out, who was in desperate need of help. She had been married five times, and was presently living with Number Six, who wasn't her husband. Her life had been one of pain and disappointment, and was in need of help. Jesus reached out to help. The woman's life was transformed, and in the helping, He received nourishment.

For me, the greatest nourishment I receive is when an opportunity to help someone arises, and I am able to make a difference in their life.

I have committed to spending my life mending broken people. This brings me nourishment. I also must guard what I take into my spirit. I am sure you have heard the line: "You are what you eat!" in referring to our physical bodies; but the same applies spiritually.

If I am properly nourishing my spirit, the outcome will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. How are you doing with your spiritual nourishment? Are there areas in your life that need attention? Is there someone that needs your help? Contact me at ncog@verizon.net.

Grace, peace and love to you!
Your friend,
Larry Wall

family on nourishment

When I think of what nourishment as a concept means to me, I think of my family. And so, in undertaking this project—of asking others to contribute their ideas on nourishment—I went first to my mother and sisters.

hannah, sister

The first one who responded was Hannah, my oldest sister. Three time zones and three thousands miles away, it turns out we had the same exact thing on our minds. Her response:


That's whack. I wrote this poem yesterday:

If we measure the time between our meeting
by the rotting of tomatoes and
avocados,
I would hope that these pieces
and our movement
is organic,
So they'll rot quicker
And no one goes hungry
with want and waiting in the interim.

Let me be clear:
I want to see you
before the vegetables decay.
I want to see you before you are filled with regret
at the waste, of time and food.
One day we will grow these fruits
together
And feed each other daily,
Nourishment springing up around us
to build a house of trees and vines.
Till then, we place carrots and radishes at acute angles,
pointing to passing,
and posing for decomposition.

xo love you.

—Hannah Wall

emma, sister

My other sister came next, and she said a lot of the same things that I myself have been feeling. I love that supple skin is just as important as relaxation and comfort. All of these things are evidence of bodily and spiritual nourishment.


I have thought about it and decided to tell you words/thoughts that come to mind when I think of nourishment:

Warmth, flavor, drink, comfort, peace, laughter, love, satisfaction, health, blood flow, supple skin, happiness, culinary creations, relaxation, family. When I feel nourished, I feel complete and mentally at peace.

—Emma Kouri

sally, mother

Finally my mother. First I received a voicemail at work: "Nourishment. Certainly is not when your daughter doesn't answer the telephone." I finally got in touch with her and she asked, "is it too late to write something and is it okay if it's not about food?" I said, of course it wasn't, and of course it was (wondering if she would remember how to email it to me). She did.


The other day, Sadie and I went down to the river. It had rained incessantly for a couple of days, and the earth smelt as it should: mossy, heaving with life, warm, wet, dark...and so we went, she and I, unable to resist the call. On the way down, I bumped into a tree, who, indignant, released the captive raindrops she had been hoarding. Drenched from the unexpected 'gift', I could only laugh. I felt a little silly! Sadie, certainly, had no idea what all this mirth represented.

On down to the river, but not to stop at our usual hole. Some adventure beckoned, and we picked up the gauntlet. Ploughing ahead through uncharted bogland, for so it is, black and foreboding, we were astonished at the beauty of the red and orange toadstools, no toads were sitting, however; red cedars sat above the bogs, standing on tippy-toes, high on their snake-like roots, keeping dry. Following the river, we won't get lost now; we came upon a huge rock, covered in moss. Right by the river...deeply swirling.

Sadie plopped into the water, and swam and swam. Oh, my Lord, nobody knows where I am! What if we get sucked into the black, black earth in one of those bogs, we'll never be found! What if there's a bear behind this mossy rock!

All of a sudden, it was very important to head on up to the clearing in the treetops shining all yellow against the blue sky... Don't worry about deer-paths, just plunge and go, quickly! I know that if we just keep going in this direction we'll come to...and there it was! The old familiar path, through the ferns, that wends its way down to Clyde Pond. Ahh...nourishment!

—Sally Wall

on nourishment

What does real nourishment taste like? Does it taste like an expensive meal? Does it taste of discovery or love or nutrients? Does it taste like a childhood story?

There was a crucial moment a few years back when I learned that nourishment has many manifestations. Nourishment for the body, for instance, tastes and satisfies in a very different way than nourishment for the soul. A meal that fills the tummy can in other ways leave you feeling very empty.

During that particular time in my life, I was eating very, very well. I was in good company. I was in a constant mode of discovery. But emotionally speaking, I did not feel nourished. And for that reason, my stomach was in constant turmoil.

Nourishment for the soul and nourishment for the body go hand in hand.

Nourishment does not necessarily mean an expensive full-course meal at a nice restaurant. On the contrary, the best and most memorable meals are the ones you scrape together with what you already have in your fridge and your garden (if you’re lucky). Perhaps because there’s an even greater summit to reach, the taste is that much sweeter.

Growing up, we never had much money, so we had to be very resourceful. If I wanted cookies or cake, I would make them from scratch. That’s how I learned to bake. It’s also how I learned to be experimental in the kitchen—mixing unusual flavors and ingredients to make something tasty.

I’ll never forget running out to the garden patch and plucking a cucumber from the vine. We would eat them skin and all—still warm from the sun—dipped in vinegar and salt. A poor man’s salad to be sure. But nourishing to the core.



Originally published on Penelope Post Blog, May 2007.