I cannot think of a time in my life when I did not love to cook. Cooking has always been close to my heart; something that allows me to connect with my family and those around me in a very sacred way.
Photos in this article belong to Leila Vaughn
When I was little and in the kitchen, I would call it “The Butterfly Cafe.” I would make menus, and when I finally let them into the kitchen, would “wait” on my parents. I rarely wanted to follow a recipe, even at the ripe old age of nine when I had little to no concept of how flavors and spices mix and pair with one another. I am still that way, but I have learned a thing or two about flavors and spices since then.
As I have grown older, cooking is no longer a simple act that I enjoy; it has become a central part of my being. I am an artist and I thrive in the process. Therefore, not only am I able to appreciate the communal act of eating with loved ones, but I also deeply appreciate and love the act of cooking itself. I believe that there is a reason that the Lord’s Supper is such a vital sacrament and why God made so many different spices, plants, and animals for us to enjoy.
The early church took the act of breaking bread with one another very seriously. When we read about the early Church in Acts 2, she is marked by four things: selling her possessions and giving to the poor, meeting in the temple daily, praising God, and having meals in each other's homes. So clearly, eating together is essential for God’s people.
When people lose loved ones, are sick, hurting, or in need, we feed them. We bring them a casserole or a pound cake or pick up takeout for them. We step into their homes, into their lives, and bring them food. But why? Is this just a southern pleasantry? Does everyone’s mother have a casserole dish carrying bag?
I believe that making meals, treats, snacks - whatever it may be - for and with our loved ones is important because it forces us to stop and appreciate our humanity, even if for a moment. It is tough to stop and breathe and recognize that we are embodied souls, not just floaty, pithy mists. Our world moves so very fast that we often can’t even stop to eat either by ourselves or with others, let alone cook. But let me encourage you to stop and not only eat, but eat together, and cook together.
We are bodies with souls. Our bodies are incredibly important to the Lord. He would not put something so eternal and sacred as our souls into them without a divine purpose. By sitting with other embodied souls and breaking bread with them, we say “I see you and I love you and I want to honor you.”
Cooking and eating are everyday activities that we encounter frequently, so to me it makes sense to have a rich theology about something that we center our day around. God loves our bodies and the space we get to occupy with them. He loves when we care for our bodies and the bodies of others. We bring heaven down when we sit in such an intimate space and dine with one another.
Let me encourage you to thank the Lord for your body and the time that you get to sit and eat and cook with people that you love. It is a treasure to get to do so. Cherish your embodiment and the embodiment of those around you. Honor them and yourself by filling up with good food together and be reminded of the heavenly promise of the Lord’s Supper that we share as The Church with our Lord Jesus.