the cult of vegetable Wednesday

It's our pattern to eat vegetarian food on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We started doing this a couple of years ago when we realised that most of the poor in neighbouring villages can't afford to eat meat every day. This is one small way that we can remember them. Secondly, it saves money. Thirdly, it saves time. I guess all these things help us get that food is for the body, not the body for food.

One of our housemates (Cambodian) became a Christian less than a year ago. She talks about her new-found faith enthusiastically! Recently, a neighbour asked her three questions:

1. Why don't Christians burn incense?
2. Why don't Christians drink alcohol?
3. Why don't Christians eat meat?

(Technically, I don't see any biblical reason to prohibit any of the above but...) My housemate answered as follows:

1. Even if you think you are burning incense to worship God, you're not. You are worshipping evil spirits and Satan. The only reason I would burn incense would be to worship Jesus. But you worship Satan not Jesus. (Blunt!)
2. Christians don't drink because they don't want to get drunk.
3. Christians don't generally fast from meat, except for religious reasons on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

It took a bit of explaining but now we're clear that this is not the cult of vegetable Wednesday. It's our habit, our response to faith. It's not a universal rule. Sorted.