Everyday Justice by Julie Clawson

Author:Julie Clawson [Clawson, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2009-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

But let’s be honest, sometimes it’s a lot easier to simply not think about such things and to try to ignore the moral considerations Sleeth proposes when we go to the store. Truthfully, I myself don’t always take the time to think about what I eat. As with many of these issues, I am still in the process of figuring out exactly how I need to alter my habits, without becoming a legalist or setting impossible standards. I still make food choices that cause harm to the earth and to others with my choices, but I am slowly working toward change. Without taking it slow, the enormity of the issue would lead me to throw up my hands in despair and do nothing at all.

It took a number of years after I first became aware of these issues before I even started making changes at all. I managed to tweak a few things in my life early on: I bought fair-trade coffee and joined the tomato pickers’ boycott, but I did little else to change. The complexities of where to find ethical food and the questions of cost were the constant excuses I gave for not doing more. I realized, however, that eventually I’d have to take the plunge and make some more difficult changes.

So one year I decided to use the season of Lent to help me integrate ethical eating into my life. Lent is about sacrifice, but it is also a time of pursuing right relationships with God, with others and with ourselves—all of which are at the heart of seeking justice. So during that season I devoted myself to righting my relationship with others through the food I ate. I decided, as much as possible, to eat food that wasn’t harmful to the environment, farmers or my body. This meant seeking out food that was fairly traded, organically grown and, often, locally grown as well (to support local farmers and reduce wasteful transport).

Lent that year proved to be one of the most meaningful I’ve ever experienced. To even find food to eat, I had to spend time researching stories about why our food choices matter. I had to come face to face with the struggles and injustices surrounding food, which forced me to reevaluate my own excuses. I stopped eating meat I knew harmed the environment and people, and I discovered sources for grass-fed, free-range beef. I bought a CSA subscription for my produce and in doing so supported a local farming family. This family worked hard to protect the earth from toxic chemicals, they didn’t exploit workers, they loved their animals, and they helped sustain a wide variety of heirloom produce (like the tomatoes mentioned earlier). My daughter enjoyed visiting their farm and playing with their goats, and I made friends with other families who chose to support this farm as well. Becoming deliberate about the food I ate helped me connect with both the land and with my community.

I’ll admit that not every ounce of

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