Praying For Hummus

I’ve been reading The Year of Living Biblically lately and came across a wonderful passage about food.

Today, before tasting my lunch of hummus and pita bread, I stand up from my seat at the kitchen table, close my eyes, and say in a hushed tone:

“I’d like to thank God for the land he provided so that this food might be grown.” […] “I’d like to thank the farme who grew the chickpeas for this hummus. And the workers who picked the chickpeas. And the truckers who drove them to the store. And the old Italian lady who sold the hummus to me at Zingone’s deli and told me ‘Lots of love.’ Thank you.”

Now that I type it, it sounds like an overly earnest Oscar speech for best supporting Middle Eastern spread. But saying it feels good. […] The prayers are helpful. They remind me that the food didn’t spontaneously generate in my fridge. They make me feel more connected,more grateful, more grounded, more aware of my place in this complicated hummus cycle. They remind me to taste the hummus instead of shoveling it into my maw like it’s a nutrition pill. And they remind me that I’m lucky to have food at all. Basically, they help me get outside of my self-obssessed cranium.

I’m not sure this is what the Bible intended, but it feels like a step forward.

I love it when agnostic, secular Jews get it. That’s my God! The one that doesn’t just talk to the holy or the righteous. My God gives wisdom to those whom he chooses. Jacobs nails so many important things about both food and prayer. I want to shout, “AMEN brother!”